The Right Key
by jennalynn
Summary: When the Captain returns from Vienna, he brings back someone she never thought she would see again, sending Maria's world into a spiral of love, heartbreak, friendship, and family as she and Georg discover the key to opening their hearts.
1. Chapter 1

Merriam-Webster defines "key" as the following:

A usually metal instrument by which the bolt of a lock is turned (ie – **_to unlock_** a lock)

An instrumental or **_deciding factor_**

Something that gives and **_explanation_** or identification or provides a solution

A map legend

A **_system of tones and harmonies_** generated from a hierarchical scale of seven tones based on a tonic

The tone or **_pitch of a voice_**; a characteristic style

The set of instructions governing the **_decipherment of messages._**

Chapter 1

"Oh yes you are, Captain!" Captain von Trapp's deep voice bounced off the Alps. "Fraulein" He quickly corrected himself as he silently cursed himself for the slip. No woman had ever had the power to anger him like this young postulant. Cognizant of her stubbornness and defiance after that disastrous first night, he had been determined to dominate all further conversations; however, his rage and defensiveness had reduced him to a deckhand with her at the helm.

"Now you will pack you things and return to the abbey."

Though she heard his words, Maria refused to break her glare aimed straight at the man in front of her even though her eyes shone with tears, her throat burned with bile, and her hands shook in rage and heartbreak. _ How dare he disappear for almost three weeks and then order me to leave my…my family! _The thought startled Maria as she realized the truth in it—over the past three weeks she and the children had grown so close there were times Maria felt she could almost read their young conniving minds. How dull the abbey would be after this excitement. And to face the Reverend Mother as a failure yet again…Sister Berthe would make her life positively unbearable, especially if she had been made aware of the reason why Maria had left the abbey to begin with. She would be polishing silverware and weeding the gardens for years.

Maria bit her lip, as the faint notes of her favourite song; _The Sound of Music,_ floated in the afternoon air. She could feel the tension growing out on the patio as the Captain too heard the faint notes, his face hardening. _Wait for it…wait for it_ she chided herself, _just wait_…

A seven-part harmony of an old folk song that he himself had sung with the children when they were young, a song that had not been uttered in five years since scarlet fever had taken his Agathe away from him, was suddenly brought to the attention of the decorated sea Captain.

"What's that?" Georg asked himself absentmindedly, momentarily forgetting the rage that had consumed him only moments ago..

"It's singing" came the point-of-fact response, jerking him back to the present. Hundreds of memories were right there, ready to play before his eyes, to consume his mind. To anchor himself, he chose anger over pain and set his piercing eyes on fraulein Maria, not giving her a moment's pause. He could see the hurt with a flavor of fear that he was causing, and felt badly. Though he was strict, he was normally not cruel. This fraulein seemed to have a strange affect on his psyche, making him act very out of his cool collected character.

"Yes, I realize it is singing." The Captain's exasperation hid the nausea in the pit of his stomach, as he blurted out the first response that came to mind. "But _who_ is singing?"

Internally the Captain chastised himself. Really, the options were very limited. Neither himself nor this sopping wet headstrong fraulein were in a position to be singing in the midst of what could possibly be called his greatest battle, Elsa sounded like a cat with a large bone stuck in its throat when she attempted to even hum along to the Strausses at the Viennese waltzes and Max was sure to be too busy stuffing his mouth full of pastries to utter anything other than a moan of delight. _She must think I am completely out of my senses_.

"The the children. I taught them a song to sing for the Baroness." Maria answered truthfully, realizing she had already been fired and he held no more power over her. As for the children…well she would have to make sure that that this situation was dealt with properly before she left for the abbey—she could never allow him to punish the children for her ideas.

Maria and the Captain stared at each other directly in the eye, neither faltering, and a faint warmth came to both their cheeks at the intensiveness of the moment. Then, without warning, the Captain spun on his heels and marched into the house, though Maria would later swear she heard him mumble to himself "the children…"

Fraulein Maria stood on the terrace shocked at the change she had just witnessed in the Captain, and uncertain what to do with herself. Moments ago they had been at the brink of physical violence with each other—she had never wanted to strike a man as much—yet one line of one stanza from a classic folksong had changed the Captain to an absentminded, heartbroken man. He had tried to hide it, cowering behind regimentation and order, but Maria knew of heartbreak. The eyes are always the key. Unlike the mouth, the gestures, the facial expressions, the eyes do not lie.

"The eye is the lamp of the body" she murmured the words of Matthew 6:22 to herself.

She leaned on the balcony's railing and stared out at the lake, relishing the last of the day's sunlight while contemplating her future. _I suppose I'll return to the abbey, continue my postulant training, and live the rest of my life behind closed walls. _Maria sighed at the thought of being stuck behind walls every day for the rest of her life. She'd never be allowed to run in the hills again…Heavens knows she wouldn't be welcomed back into the choir…

_How will I manage? _She couldn't help but wonder. And no children! None of their cheerful voices in the mornings, their hugs at night, their liveliness…the abbey seemed pale and dull in comparison. As a child she dreamed of becoming a teacher, wishing to spend her life teaching and influencing young minds. After having a taste of this, going back would be a difficult reality to face.

_But how can I go back? After everything that's happened…the sisters will never look at me the same. Not after everything that they lost because of me…The Reverend Mother is all merciful…she will allow me to return. But after everything my mistakes and my weaknesses cost them, should she? _Thoughts were racing through her mind as she begrudgingly made her way back towards the house.

A deep baritone interrupted Maria's worries, as the original seven singing voices quickly quieted. Maria paused for a moment inside the doors as realization hit her, a greater shock to her senses than she had ever previously experience. _The Captain…_

Despite knowing the affairs of the household were no longer her business, Maria quietly tiptoed towards the drawing room, careful to avoid slipping in her drenched shoes. She just had to see for herself what her ears heard but her mind refused to accept.

Peaking through the doorway she saw the children gazing at their father with expressions she had prayed to God they would all someday wear, though she had doubted the feasibility of such a dream—each child gazing at the Captain no longer as a feared leader but with all the love and joy a child can have for a parent. Despite the cool air on her wet skin Maria felt warm and tears flooded her eyes.

As the song ended, Maria's gaze finally roamed the long awaited guests, Baroness Shraeder and "Uncle Max". In the corner of the doorframe, which she was looking through, she could make out the Baroness- an elegant-looking lady, with blond-almost –white hair, and dark eyes. Her clothes were impeccable, crisp, white, and utterly outrageous for a common summer day. Though first impressions are often wildly incorrect, Maria's insides instantly tightened at the sight of the prim and proper socialite seated on the sofa, with clothing that dissuaded a child from sitting on her lap for fear of wrinkles, hair precisely styled deterring from outdoor activities, and shoes with heels that could never be worn to run and play. Despite knowing of their imminent meeting this day, the Baroness had clearly not dressed for any child-contact.

She again strained her eyes to try to make out the other guest. The children had been raving about the man for the past three weeks. How he could convince their father to give them an afternoon free from their marching, how he would sneak them all sweets from town…the love the children had for their uncle was evident.

Much to her chagrin, the mysterious Max was hidden from her view, and too curious for her own good, Maria took a step into the doorway.

"Fraulein!" Gretle's small voice rang through the house as she ran into her governess's arms, staining her clean dress with water. Maria did not hear the young girl's exclamation.

Next to the Baroness sat a man with dark hair, a ridiculous moustache, and a gaze Maria could visualize on will simply by closing her eyes.

"Maxim?" Maria gasped softly, crossing the threshold into the room, her eyes wide with astonishment.

At the sight of the young blonde woman creating puddles of lake water on the floor, the well-known music aficionado and producer audibly inhaled, rose to his feet as he breathed "Maria?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me to Chapter 2. These first few chapters were originally posted several years ago. I took them down, edited, and have now completed the story. **

**Some of the pairings of this fanfiction may initially seem unorthodox. I ask that you please stick with me, as in the end people end up where they should be. It's a long ride to get there, but the ends are worth the means. **

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

"Ave Maria  
Mater Dei  
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus  
Ora pro nobis  
Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus  
Nunc et in hora mortis  
Et in hora mortis nostrae  
Et in hora mortis nostrae  
Et in hora mortis nostrae  
Ave Maria"

The final chords of the Schubert's classic rang through the cathedral, resonating between the dark wooden pews of Nonneberg Abbey. Maria's high G-note rang clearly off the statues of the apostles as she sang the perfect fifth to the choir's B-flat. As first soprano and choir chair, the young postulant had taken some liberties with the work of the great musician, adding flairs of harmony interweaving amongst the melodic line. None of the other members of the choir ever complained of these, often spontaneous, embellishments and with each performance Maria's confidence and creativity grew. In the history of Nonneberg Abbey, Maria was both the youngest person to ever sing lead vocals and the only postulant to ever be given the position of choir leader, a status traditionally reserved for those who have taken their vows. Among both the members of the convent and their parishioners, Maria's musical abilities were admired and appreciated.

The final note hung in the air lightened by the stained-glass windows that had lit the sanctuary for centuries causing the young soprano to still in the moment to absorb the energy of the sound waves. This was her personal connection with God. Regardless of the teachings of the Mistress of postulants about the 'proper' way to connect with Jesus and obey God's wishes through silent prayer, it was at moments like these, when the room was filled with God's most wondrous creation, the gift of music, that Maria truly felt the connection with a higher being that had driven her to choose a life of devotion.

As the air cleared, the shuffling of the other choir members brought Maria back and she gave her head a slight shake to clear her thoughts.

"We're out of time for today. Thank you all for a wonderful practice, I will see you at mass tomorrow morning." Maria announced, allowing the sisters to return to their chambers to prepare for supper.

As the singers filtered out, Maria began to pack up the sheet music when the voice of the Reverend Mother interrupted her. As per tradition, Maria hurried to the Reverend Mother's side, knelt, and kissed the woman's hand.

"Good evening Reverend Mother" she smiled at the elderly lady for whom she had complete respect and trust

"Good evening Maria. How was practice?" The Reverend Mother returned the young postulant's smile.

"Productive. I was worried after last practice the new song selection may be too great a challenge, but we are working hard and I'm sure, well hope…and pray…that tomorrow's service will reflect this" Maria stumbled slightly, trying to maintain the humility that was emphasized in her lessons.

"I hope you don't mind, I was listening to your rehearsal. I am very impressed by the changes I have seen and heard since you assumed leadership" the Reverend Mother agreed with Maria's assessment.

The compliment was well deserved—since Maria assumed the role of first soprano followed by music director and most recently choir chair associated with the responsibility for the choir as an entirety, the quality of the music had changed dramatically, shifting from a mediocre of sisters who met to sing the same hymns week after week into a group of dedicated women with a structured practice environment and a wide repertoire of material. Word had spread through Salzburg of the choir's musical abilities, and as a result the number of parishioners at Sunday mass continued to grow, pleasing all members of the convent.

"Thank you Reverend Mother" Maria replied, modestly lowering her gaze.

"Have prepared something special for tomorrow's service?" the Reverend Mother continued cautiously, not wanting to excite the young postulant with a history of exclaiming or shouting before listening.

"We have been practicing Schubert's outstanding _Ave Maria_ to end tomorrow's Palm Sunday mass" Maria responded with a question in her voice. The Reverend Mother was normally not concerned with the choir's musical selections. "Forgive me Mother, but why do you ask?

"This morning I received a telegram that concerns you and the choir." The Reverend Mother quietly handed the postulant the small piece of white paper she had read over twenty times that day

_To: the Reverend Mother of Nonnberg Abbey_

_From: Maxim Detweiler_

_ I have been informed on multiple occasions of the immense talent of your choir, particularly your first soprano STOP I will be in Salzburg Sunday April 10__th__ and after mass I would appreciate a short meeting with your choir director to discuss future directions STOP Cordially, Maxim Detweiler_

Maria re-read the letter quickly.

"Reverend Mother, pardon my ignorance, but who is Maxim Detweiler?" she questioned, wondering why a man would require a telegram RSVP to attend their mass and why it had the elderly nun in such a state of excitement.

"My child, Maxim Detweiler is the most prominent music producer in Austria.

"Music producer? For what?" Maria wondered aloud. Despite her passion for music, she remained ignorant of the people involved in in the 'music world'. She could recognize every Beethoven, Bach, and Brahm's melody within the first stanza, a talent she had been developing since childhood; however, was unaware of the faces and names of the music industry as it was not something she was permitted to keep in touch with. Minimizing the music in her life was a constant challenge for the Maria as she daily found herself humming in the hallways and singing as she performed her daily chores.

"Each year Herr Detweiler chooses one choral group or soloist, trains with them, then enters them into music festivals across the country. Word has it he is extremely particular in his selection; however, it is said that with his support the opportunities are vast and the prospects bright."

"And he wants us?" Maria felt like her mind had frozen, too daunted to consider the full spectrum of opportunities this small piece of paper may bring.

"This telegram suggests he may be considering us" the Reverend Mother warned, not wanting the girl to get ahead of herself.

"But a choir of nuns?" Maria asked, "Why is it that you suspect this Herr Detweiler might consider us?

"I cannot be certain of his plans. I dare to pray that the resources of Herr Detweiler may aid our small convent to further spread the word of the Lord. This morning I spoke to the directors of both the Saint Ignatius and the Klopfman choirs of their involvement with Herr Detweiler. They spoke of a dramatic increase in parishioners at mass and awareness of their convent within the general population. The Saint Ignatius choir won third place at the Salzburg Music Festival two years ago under the guidance of Herr Detweiler's firm, though they had no contact with the man himself, and with their winnings they bought a gift for each of the children in their local orphanage."

Maria's eyes widened at the mention of the music festival. When she was young each August she would sit outside of the amphitheater during the afternoon dress rehearsals prior to the evening performances and listen to the acts. It had been her first true exposure to the works of the great musicians—Beethoven, Mozart Tchaikovsky, Debussy. She used to run home and tell her parents that one day she would be dressed up in a fancy dress and sing on the stage.

"It sounds like a wonderful opportunity." Maria commented, trying in vain to contain her excitement. "What can I do to prepare?"

"I imagine Herr Detweiler will come and speak with you after mass – I will speak with Sister Berthe to excuse you from any plans she may have for the postulants. Until then you should probably save your voice for tomorrow's mass. I suggest 12 hours of silent reverence."

"Um…while I appreciate your concern, Reverend Mother, I don't wish to make a promise I may not be able to keep. Silence reflection is a challenge and 12 hours is a long time. Perhaps 12 minutes?"

"My child, even that would be a miracle of God."

* * *

"Let us go now in peace to love and to serve the Lord."

"Thanks be to God." The parishioners responded, cueing the final choral song of the mass.

As the now familiar opening chords of Schubert filled the chapel, Maria could no longer contain the smile that had been pulling on her face throughout the entire mass, her exhaustion completely forgotten. Maria, under the Reverend Mother's guidance, had not informed the choir of the service's special guest, not wanting to increase the sisters' anxiety any more than necessary. In order to hide her personal anxiety, Maria had left dinner early and, to her relief, had been granted entry to the music room where she spent the remainder of the evening perfecting her counter-melody line for the numerous hymns throughout the mass. The worrying had been for nothing, however, as the choir had been in impeccable form all morning.

Normally at this point of the mass parishioners would file out of the church as the choir sang the closing hymn; however, it had become custom since Maria's assumption of the choir chair for all members of the congregation to remain seated through the, what could only be called, performance until the completion of the song.

As the choir sang, Maria's eyes scanned the crowd, as they had been the entire mass, trying to ascertain who the mysterious Herr Detweiler could be. Based on his extensive credentials Maria searched for a elderly gentleman, and based on the fortune reputed to be at his disposal, a well-dressed man with an air of snobbery to his nature. Four particular gentlemen stood out in the crowd, each dressed impeccably in suits of the current style, greying hair, and a with a well-dressed lady on their arms. Maria hoped the priest's sermon would not be a topic of discussion at her next lesson, as she had not heard to a word as her mind was too occupied with controlling the tremor of her hands. Once the music had started, however, her nerves were at rest and she allowed all the joy she had been containing for the past 12 hours at the Reverend Mother's news spill from her in song.

All too soon for Maria the song came to its conclusion, leaving the high-spirited soprano craving the rush and sense of well-being and completion that only music seemed to fill within her. With music rushing around her like snowflakes on a windy day, her body and soul were filled with the indescribably sense of being alive. She could not have asked for a more cleaner, more spirited performance from her singers.

The applause from the congregation was deafening, despite general church protocol that does not require any praise for the musical selections, and the people began to file out of the chapel. One by one the four men that Maria had singled out left with their lovely wives in tow, none approaching the alter where Maria waited.

An overwhelming sensation of failure shocked Maria—the choir had obviously not performed to the standards required by the famous music producer, and as a result he opted to not waste his time speaking to the choir's director. The church now empty, the choir filed out towards the dining hall for breakfast none the wiser. As her eyes raked over the pews for any stragglers, Maria's chest ached as she realized for the first time how much she had been looking forward to meeting the man who had worked miracles for so many singers. If nothing else, she wished to hear his opinion and suggestions for improvement.

A tap on her shoulder caused Maria to turn slowly to face the Reverend Mother; however, to her dismay, instead of a pair of grey eyes filled with years of wisdom and patience, two brown shining orbits overfilling with excitement and mischief met her glittering blue sapphires.

"Sister Maria?" he asked hesitantly, not able to fully take in the beauty of the soprano he had been so closely watching from afar throughout the entire service.

"Herr Detweiler?" Maria asked, equally surprised at the image of the young man with dark hair dressed casually standing before her. He could not be more than twenty years older than her.

"I apologize – I had to step out to return a phone call from a highly impatient friend. It is wonderful to meet you—congratulations on an outstanding performance."

Maria blushed slightly at the complement. "Thank you." She responded plainly, still having a difficult time accepting the identity of the man before her.

"I am very much impressed. Do you have some time to discuss your performance…I mean the choir's performance? The Reverend Mother has told me you were expecting me; however, if you have somewhere you need to be, I'd be happy to arrange to come by at another time. I would very much like to speak to you about your choir…" he stumbled on his words, still astonished that a woman with a face and voice like those of Maria would ever choose to enter a convent.

"Now would be fine." Maria quickly assured him, neglecting to mention breakfast. Her stomach was too full of butterflies to even contemplate food. "There is an room just down the hall that will be free…the Reverend Mother keeps the sanctuary open for silent prayer all day Sundays" Not one to remain dumbfounded for long, Maria quickly assumed control of the conversation, determined that the meeting would occur under her terms.

_It is my choir, and things will happen the way that I want it!_ The ever-forthright Maria thought to herself as she led Maxim towards a small office hidden in a corner near the gardens. The last time she had been in the office was when she was being interviewed as a prospective postulant, and she swallowed a lump in her throat as she entered the small space filled with comfortable chairs, bookshelves, and a fireplace.

"So what happens now?" Maria asked, quickly getting down to business, as she quickly took a seat by the open window, signaling Herr Detweiler, who had remained standing in the doorway, to close the door and take the seat as well. The cool spring breeze calmed the burning in her cheeks and the smell of the mountain air settled her nerves.

"Now…" Maxim started, trying to hide his smile at the young girl's frankness as he sat "…we talk. I'm sure you have expectations, as I certainly do, and hopefully by the end of this meeting we'll agree to terms that are suitable to both parties."

"Terms? Then you want to promote our choir?" Maria gasped, unable to control her excitement but determined to make this official right off the start. _Unbelievable_. She thought to herself. _And here I thought we'd spend hours with me defending the choir and offering reasons why he should accept us, after which he would say he has to think about it, and probably never contact us again_.

"Sister, if I may be so bold, from the moment I heard your voice in the opening hymn my decision was made."

"Herr Detweiler, I am only a postulant, and won't be a sister until I take my vows. Please call me Maria"

"Then I insist that you call me Maxim."

"Oh but Herr—"

"Fair is fair. In this partnership we are equals, Maria." Maxim smiled at the blonde's wariness—it was a trait not often conveyed by the socialites of Vienna who believed very strongly that the world owed them everything they could want.

"Very well. Thank you….Maxim" Maria gave a small smile, uncomfortable with the familiarity with which she was conversing with this stranger.

"So let us begin" Maxim began, trying to distract himself from the piercing blue eyes unwaveringly gazing at him with anticipation and nervousness. "I'm sure you must have many questions for me; however, I'm afraid this will have to be just a quick meeting. For today, I was hoping to officially meet you, express my intentions for the choir, and hopefully arrange a time when we can sit down and discuss details. I do have a couple minutes, however, if you have any immediate questions." He held her gaze for a moment longer, until he felt overwhelmed by the intensity and glanced out at the gardens where the sisters were planting seeds.

Only one question came to Maria's mind, fuzzy from the excitement of the day.

"Why us?"

"You have an incredible voice Maria. I-I mean the entire choir is well balanced, highly skilled and obviously dedicated to the art based on the multiple harmonies you have added to the music, but…well, with your talent the judges would be deaf and blind fools not to award you every prize in the country. It amazes me that you haven't already been signed by three or four agents".

"Thank you." Maria beamed with pride, and then realizing how vain she must look, she quickly shifted her gaze to the floor. "I mean…I…"

"No- accept the compliment. You deserve it. Now down to business—as you were singing I began thinking a great deal about another song I heard a long time ago, called _Amor di mi Alma_. It's an Italian song, gorgeous, and judges adore it. Normally I don't like to discuss song selection until I develop a better idea of the choir's abilities and tone; however, I must admit I am very curious to hear your rendition."

"I'd be happy to have my choir prepare a selection for you" Maria agreed, surprised at how quickly events were transpiring.

"I apologize, I was unclear. While this is a choral piece, there is a challenging solo line that is the heart of the song and must be very strong. I would be very interested in seeing how it would sound with a voice as brilliant as yours. I would like to start by working with you individually to solidify the part before we introduce it to the choir. Does this seem like an acceptable starting point? Naturally it would also give us the opportunity to discuss more about the work that lies ahead."

"Whatever you think will work best" Maria consented.

"Wonderful. I'm afraid I'm due at an old friend's home shortly, and I am determined to prove him wrong and show up on time, especially after he called my secretary to remind her this morning. Are you busy tomorrow evening? I will have the music sent over this evening for you to look over. In the meantime, I will drop off paperwork with your Reverend Mother before I leave for her to look over first, so if you could read through it it this evening and make a list of any questions, I would be most obliged. I am sorry to put you on the spot like this and rush everything but…"

Maria smiled. "That's quite alright. I'd be happy to work with you tomorrow evening. I'll have to check with the Reverend Mother, but I'm sure she'd be willing to grant me leave from Vespers if it will benefit the choir"

"I will speak to her on my way out. I do apologize for the short visit, I had completely forgotten about my previous engagement and he does not tolerate tardiness, and high pitched whistles hurt my ears. " Maxim grinned back at her, delighted to hear the enthusiasm in her voice

Despite the last comment making no sense to Maria, she restrained herself from asking.

"It was a true pleasure meeting you…Maxim. Thank you so much for everything and I look forward to seeing you at 19h00 tomorrow."

"Please trust me when I say the pleasure was entirely my own Maria. You have amazed me in many ways today, a rare feat I am ashamed to admit, and for that I thank you."

The couple stood awkwardly facing each other for a moment, neither sure how to end the brief meeting. Herr Detweiller noticed the look of unease in Maria's face, and quickly inclined in head and swept out of the room, leaving behind a flustered postulant with no idea what just happened.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the positive reviews - any feedback is always appreciated. There were a couple questions about the timeline - these events transpired prior to Maria joining the von Trapp family. This will become clearer in a few chapters, but I thought I'd mention it now. There are a few chapters left in the flashback then we'll be returning to where we left the characters in the drawing room. Just want to re-iterate that this is a long story - novel length - and all good things happen in their rightful time :)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Three**

The rest of the afternoon passed much too slowly for Maria's liking. She informed the Reverend Mother about Maxim's aspirations for the choir, who said she would announce the news to the convent that evening, then spent the next two hours digging through the stack of paperwork Maxim had left that was nearly as thick as the Bible itself. Most of the documentation required was relatively straightforward, outlining the responsibilities of Maxim, of the abbey, and of Maria herself in the partnership and a proposed timeline of events that would transpire. Clearly Maxim was intent on assuring not only the choir be represented by him, but specifically the first soprano and director. Maria was flattered, as he had clearly written up all the paperwork prior to hearing them sing. The choir's reputation, and in particular her own, must be more well-respected than she had previously thought.

By the 14h00, her hand ached from signing her name so many times. Left with nothing else to do, Maria aimlessly wandered around the courtyard outside until the dinner bell tolled. Luck was on her side, as she passed Sister Berthe only once, and was able to escape before being asked to scrub the dining room hall with a toothbrush.

* * *

Halfway through dinner the front doorbell chimed, and couple minutes later a young postulate entered the dining area and handed a flat rectangular package to Maria. The curious eyes of every sister and postulant of the convent pierced Maria, as she tried to hide the package under the table. She glanced at the Reverend Mother, who slightly inclined her head, and gently cleared her throat, ceasing what little chatter remained in the hall.

"This morning we had a special visitor attend mass. Herr Detweiller, a prominent agent and musical promoter has chosen to represent our convent at this year's Salzburg music festival. Over the next few months he will be working very closely with our choir director, Maria, and the choir to perfect the program to be performed. The details will be discussed at the next scheduled meeting. I offer my most sincere congratulations to all of you – we are all very proud of your accomplishment."

Normally Maria's cheeks would have burned at the compliment; however, she had been too distracted by the book in her lap and the challenge of unwrapping the strings tying up the brown-papered package to listen.

When the sisters finally began filing out of the hall, she tore into the package like a small child of Christmas morning, and opened the thick book to the dog-eared page, where Maxim had written _Feel free to improvise as you see fit_.

Though many of the postulants and nuns searched for the young choir director that evening to offer their congratulations, none were able to find her—she did not attend vespers, nor could she be found in her room prior to rest hour. The mistress of music did, however, note from her window that the candles in the music room were shining brightly still at two in the morning when she awoke for a glass of water, and if she listened carefully enough singing could be heard bouncing off the mountains to soaring up to dance with the stars.

* * *

"Now let's take it again from the cadenza"

Maria's voice slightly shook as she sang the same verse for what must have been the thirtieth time that evening. She had presumed that she and Maxim would go through _Amor di mi Alma_ once or twice and then sit down to discuss the semantics of entering a group of nuns into Austria's most well-known music festival; however, her constant singing for the past three hours would suggest otherwise. It was already ten at night, and she was exhausted after spending the previous night and all day preparing for this first official meeting. They had yet to get through the song once. Little did she know, Maxim's plans for the evening had been along the same lines as hers; however, once Maria had begun to sing he never wanted her to stop. Her voice was like sweet wine, and he was quickly becoming an alcoholic.

Maxim couldn't help but stare at the angelic figure in front of him, so different from the many women he had dated in the past. He had been so surprised yesterday to find his thoughts constantly returning to the young blonde the entire time Georg had complained about yet another hired hand he had to let go for incompetency. He couldn't fathom how a nun, of all people, had managed to squeeze her way into his suboconscious and by the morning he was sure he was losing his senses. Yet on returning to the abbey, he was again taken by everything about Maria. Her body, though shielded by the overlarge postulant's dress, seemed to curve and flow like the melody line she was singing, and her features were delicate and porcelain-like. The light from the Easter candle in the room shone off her radiant gold hair, creating a halo-like effect, yet it was her smile that drew him in and made him very excited in every way. His attraction to her was immense, and Maxim felt himself being completely drawn in by her allure. He quickly sat down on the piano bench and cued the record player sitting on the bench beside him. While he could play the piano and read music well enough to plunk out notes for her starting pitch, he was nowhere near competent to provide a full accompaniment.

Maria briefly closed her eyes, trying to forget she alone was singing for the famous Herr Detweiller whose sapphire eyes never left seemed to waver the entire time she sang. The attraction she had begun to feel for him yesterday at their first meeting had exponentially grown all evening, prompting her to remain awake and working in the music room over half of the night. These new sentiments had her confused and she yearned for a mother or friend to talk to. Though she had heard about attraction in school, she had been far too busy with her extra classes and preoccupied with thoughts of the future to pay attention to the advances of any boys. She suddenly wished she would have agreed to eat lunch with Alexander – maybe she would have a better understanding of social conventions and greater insight into her reaction to Maxim's presence. The moment he had walked into the music room and immediately begun explaining his thoughts on the musical piece, she had felt an unfamiliar tingling much lower in her body than hunger pains and her heart pulsating in her throat.

Maxim watched in awe as dollar signs danced around the young postulant's head in time to the music. The money that could be made with a voice like that, and a body like…that. He couldn't lie, her singing was a turn on, but that body and glow, well it was worth its weight in gold indeed. He could almost feel her in his arms, touching her, holding her…

The final section of the song ended, and a Maria felt herself begin to sway from exhaustion. Desperate to prove to him this was something she could do but eager not to faint, she sat down beside him on the only bench in the room.

"I'm afraid I didn't have time to perfect bridge". She gave an apologetic smile. She was close enough now to smell his cologne, and quickly began discretely breathing through her mouth to keep out the foreign musky scent. His smile was infectious and her fingertips tingled slightly as she thought about running them over his lips. The unexpected thought startled her, and she immediately grasped her hands together and cast her eyes downwards.

Maxim smiled as he saw Maria's discomfort. _She's falling for you. _He realized with gleeful surprise, shocked at how excited he became at the thought. _And this is only the second meeting. By the time you leave for Vienna she'll be yours. _Realizing how much he wanted this , he placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

What Maxim Detweiller wanted, Maxim Detweiller got. He would make sure of it.

"It was breathtaking" he almost whispered, moving a bit closer. He could smell her clean scent, resembling some flower her had one smelt. It had been so long since he'd been with a woman, almost two months, and he felt his body reacting to once again being close to a member of the female sex. It didn't matter if she was a postulant – that was just location and wardrobe. She had the perfect triad: a pure and simple beauty, a pleasant personality, and a talent that would make the past winners of the festival sound like shrieking children in comparison.

Maria's eyes widened as Maxim came closer. She heard her mind shrieking _Move away! Move away! _Somehow she couldn't move, her feet rooted to their spot on the floor. A vague feeling of nausea and light-headedness passed through her, like she was about to explode. Her mind was in competition with her own desire, trapping her in the middle.

"It's late and you look exhausted. I will be by tomorrow evening again. Thank you" Maxim smiled at her, gently ran his finger down her cheek then turned and left without looking back.

Maria felt her cheek burn where Herr Detweiller's hand had been just seconds before. Her shallow breathing and tingling skin frightened her, as she quickly hurried to her bed; however, despite her exhaustion sleep would not take away her unease and worry that night.

* * *

The next day passed uneventfully. Maria didn't seem able to concentrate on her prayers, yet for some strange reason no one else seemed to notice her absentmindedness, as Maria was so frightful they would. It seemed as though they thought this type of behavior was typical of Maria, as if she never was able to commit herself to something as frightfully exciting as praying and doing chores.

As hard as she tried, Maria couldn't concentrate on her Bible studies. Every story involving a man took on the form of Maxim, leading her thoughts astray back to the chapel the evening before. His child-like face, his sense of humour, and most importantly the strange physical attraction between the two of them were all she could think about as she worried about the implications of these feelings.

Every spare minute she had alone, she sang. The tomato seeds were gifted with song as they were placed in the ground, her cool soup at lunch was serenaded rather than eaten, and the piano keys in the music room were tired from her chords. It was the only way she could quiet her mind, ease her doubts and fears, and cease her worries that everything was happening too quickly and would soon be spiraling out of control.

* * *

"I was wondering perhaps if you would care to have dinner with me tonight." Herr Detweiller looked at Maria straight in the eyes. Seeing the confusing he was causing as she wrung her postulant's dress through her fingers, he quickly verified the facts for her. "As a thank you for all the hard work you have put in the past weeks. We've concentrated primarily on perfecting your solo, and have put in countless hours with the choir working on intonation and balance, but have spent hardly any time discussing the logistics of festival performances—costumes, transportation and so forth. Not to mention I am well aware how many meals you have missed because of our time together ." He was not wrong—it was already seven o'clock, and the supper bell had rung an hour ago, but they had been right into the middle of a run through of her solo, having dismissed the general choir two hours before

Maria tried to contain her excitement at Maxim's proposal, attempting in vain to convince herself she was more excited about a meal before bed than for spending time with this wonderful man. It had been nearly a month since they had first sat in the music room repeating the same verses again and again, and she and Maxim had become good friends. The connection she had felt and feared weeks ago had not changed, if anything it had strengthened, however Maxim had done nothing to pursue it and her mind had gradually accepted the chemistry between them as status quo.

"I believe the Reverend Mother would be the one to speak to about such matters." She explained carefully, determined not to show the man the growing attraction that she had been feeling for him since their first encounter.

Maxim smiled. "I'm sure the Reverend Mother has many other things to worry about other than tonight's dinner plans, however, I will speak to her immediately and meet you at the front doors in a half hour? I have a couple calls that have to be made within the next twenty minutes. How does that sound?"

"Well it appears to be all arranged." Maria smiled warmly with a good natured shrug, and turned her back and walked out of 'their room'.

As Maria walked into her bedroom, she realized for the first time she had nothing to wear—surely she couldn't wear her postulant's habit out for dinner in town. The gossip would be obscene. _Oh Lord above. Why didn't I think of this sooner? _she chastised herself as she hastened to the Reverend Mother's office. Luck was with her, as she saw Maxim walking down the hall, clearly having just spoken with the head of the abbey.

"Oh Mother, I'm sorry. I am supposed to meet Herr Detweiller in less than half an hour, I believe he was just here? I have nothing to wear!" She exclaimed, bursting into the office.

The Reverend Mother smiled at the whirlwind that had just blown in, purposefully neglecting to remind Maria that decorum was an expectation of all postulants. "In the wardrobe, my child, there is a selection of dresses you may choose from."

Maria ran towards the door. "Oh thank you Mother!" she cried, not bothering to ask why the abbey would keep a collection of street clothing on hand.

"My child" the Reverend Mother's stern voice caused Maria to briefly pause. "How are things going with Maxim?"

"Busy. He seems to have an idea how he wants us to sound, and will stop at nothing to get us to that point. The other sisters seem to be enjoying his musical selections and our sound is improving with each practice."

"And working with him?"

Maria paused ever so slightly before answering "He has some unorthodox ideas but we are learning to make compromises."

"You've been spending a great deal of time with him. I believe you've missed dinners more evenings than you've attended this past month."

"He is very eager to put the major changes in place as quickly as possible so they become routine. He also has been coaching me to sing one of the solos in the festival…" Maria trailed off. She hadn't discussed Maxim's vision of the musical selection with her. She could feel her cheeks warming and was certain she was noticeably red.

"Just be careful, Maria." The Reverend Mother cautioned. "I worry you may become too consumed by this project. I approved this dinner so you might first eat something as you are looking unwell, and second finish any outstanding items so you can again begin to focus on your lessons and reserve choral activities to choir practice hours. Herr Detweiller is doing the abbey a great service; however, he is and must remain simply a consultant. Do you understand?"

Maria nodded, nervously biting on her bottom lip at the connotation.

With the Reverened Mother's blessing, Maria darted from the room, trying desperately to forget the warning. She found the dress easily enough. In the wardrobe she found a white dress with a light pink floral pattern. Its short, willowy sleeves, and a flowing skirt that reached midway down her calf. It was obvious that it had not been warn many times; most nuns and postulants never had any special place to go. Maria gazed at herself in the small mirror in her room. She smiled at her reflection and combed her hair with her fingers.

Her gaze was broken at the sound of the clock chiming half past. Her eyes darted wildly, as she slammed the door behind her and ran out to meet Maxim, tripping in the unfamiliar pink flats on the cobblestones.

Maria hurried to the gates, where she saw Herr Detweiller standing, tapping his watch.

"Five minutes late, Fraulein." He commented with a slight sparkle in his eye.

"I'm so sorry. I was speaking to the Revered Mother, and I lost track of the time and…"Maria paused then let out a laugh of relief at the amused smile on Maxim's face.

"Shall we go?" Maxim offered Maria his hand. Maria hesitated for a moment, unsure exactly what was expected of her. She had never gone out to dinner with a man before, let alone one as highly esteemed as Maxim Detweiller, and was not sure what was expected of her. She finally accepted his hand to aid her into the car waiting beside him.

"Where are we going?" she asked, trying to calm her racing nerves. The Reverend Mother's warning had confirmed her worry that her time with Maxim was being noticed, putting her on edge for the evening's activity.

"To a bistro down the street. It's fairly quiet this time of the night as its specialty is breakfast. I thought we could talk in peace there, without questioning eyes on us."

An idea popped into Maria's head, quickly cheering her up.

"If it's just down the street, could we walk?" she asked with excitement. "The night air is so beautiful in this time of year."

Maxim gave her a strange look. "I'd much rather drive Maria. The night air and pollen gives me respiratory problems, and…". Maxim bit his lip. He had been about to say he wanted to spend time alone with her in a backseat, but caught himself in time, realizing she was not a socialite from Vienna but a postulate who probably would not react well to the implication, even as a joke. _She is going to be a Postulate, Max_ he repeated what had become a mantra in his mind as the car pulled away from the abbey. Yet it seemed the more times he repeated the sentence, the less importance and meaning the worried implied.

"…it's better to talk once we get there" he finished the sentence lamely, already the car pulling to the side of the road. Together they stepped out and walked into a small, partially hidden bistro.

"Ah, Herr Detweiller!" A man in a dark suit walked towards them. "How nice it is to see you again. Table for two?" He asked, gesturing to Maria.

"Yes, thank you Wilhelm. This is Maria, the lead of a choir that I have chosen to enter in the festival."

Maria smiled sheepishly as Maxim normalized the situation for her. Obviously Maxim was a regular customer, and Maria forced herself not to consider how many other women he had brought there. It didn't matter if the number was a quarter of all of Austria. This was a business dinner.

Maria slid into the rounded booth, as Maxim ordered them wine, and filet mignon.

Maria knew she should tell Maxim that the abbey prohibited recreational alcohol, and had been a vegetarian since she was a child but suddenly felt intimidated at his unwavering gaze, and she decided not to say anything.

"So…" she said, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "Where should we begin?" After a month working together it was strange that these feelings of unease and distance were coming up again, but the entire situation was too unnatural for Maria to find any sense of place.

Maxim choked in the midst of sipping his wine when she smiled at him. Setting down his glass he quickly began outlining the topics that had to be discussed that evening. As soon as business was again the topic of discussion the atmosphere eased and the relationship the two had grown accustomed to sharing returned.

"I suppose we might as well start big. If your choir were to win the festival, which with your voice Maria I have no doubt would be the outcome, you would be sent to Switzerland for their Alpine festival—the best from Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria and of course Switzerland. I believe this year the committee decided Luzern would host, which is a gorgeous city but more importantly the chocolate and cheese is to dye for. But I regress. If you would happen to win this festival, which is not beyond the realm of possibility my dear, fame and glory would be yours, to put it quite bluntly—you could tour wherever you want, sing what you like, and people would know your name. Naturally I would suggest the European International Music Festival, but there are other choices once you reach that level. Oh, and of course, people would flock weekly to your abbey to hear you sing". He added the last part to ground the woman who started to pale at his projections.

Maria's eyes had grown to the size she wondered if she'd ever be able to blink. What he was describing sounded incredible; however, she knew the key goal was to spread the word of God to as many people as possible. This seemed like an incredible opportunity to do just that.

"And the entire choir would be travelling to these places?" Maria asked carefully, acutely aware that he had been using 'you' to describe his future projections.

"Naturally" Maxim corrected himself, internally wincing at his Freudian slip. In his mind it was just him and Maria travelling concert to concert

"So what must the choir do to get to this Swiss concert?" she asked carefully, not entirely sure how to ask "what do we do to win!" without sounding terribly childish.

"Continue to work as you have been these past weeks. The complete dedication I have seen from the entire choir is a promising start. We will have to choose repertoire very carefully, and I will keep my ear to the ground to find out what other choirs will be singing. Luckily for you, I have been asked to emcee this year's festival so I will receive the preliminary list within a couple months."

Maria's brow furrowed a little at this obvious conflict of interest, but for the sake of peace she kept her opinions to herself.

The meal came, and Maria internally cringed. She was careful to eat the potato, green beans and bread, leaving the hunk of meat in the center of her plate. Maxim did not seem to notice, too entirely absorbed in his own meal.

Once the pain of their initial hunger was satisfied and the major choral issues Maxim had laid out had been covered, topics soon turned to a more personal nature.

"Do you have any relatives here in Salzburg?" Maria asked, wondering if she could get some more information about this mysterious friend of his that he seemed to be staying with, or at least visiting often, but never discussing.

"No…" he murmured, finding it more and more difficult to tear his eyes away from her the more wine he consumed.

She was so beautiful. Her eyes gleamed in the dull lighting of the restaurant, and the pink flowers of her dress, although not as flattering as many of the ladies he had courted, accented her rosy cheeks. He heard her question, but sentences had become a challenge.

Maria could sense that the alcohol was causing changes in the man beside her, and the look in his eyes caused shivers to go down her spine in a mixture of anticipation, curiosity and foreboding.

"How long have you been a producer?" she tried again nervously to make conversation.

"Years" Perhaps it was the beauty before him, perhaps the lack of sleep, or perhaps the alcohol. Whatever the reason, the words poured from his lips like champagne from a freshly corked bottle.

"Quit" he suggested in a voice so low Maria could barely hear him.

Maria started at him with questioning eyes and felt her breath hitch.

"The abbey" Maxim clarified after a long drink. "To sing. I'll be your full time manager. With your voice and my contacts, Maria, my God the money we'd make."

"Maxim…" Maria cut him off, stunned. "…the abbey, it's my life. It's who I am."

"So change…think of who you can be. Maria, you can't be a nun – do you really want to spend your days on your knees – planting gardens, scrubbing floors, and praying?"

Maria diverted her gaze, unwilling to let him know the same worries had, in the past, entered her thoughts.

"It's a sacrifice I must make for the Lord" she spoke more to convince herself than Maxim. She was riddled with guilt at the anticipation and excitement his proposition was bringing her.

"Not with your talent…your body… Maria you're stunning. The judges will be enamored the moment they see you, will fall you for the moment you start to sing. Lord knows I have"

Maria let out a small gasp at the accidental confession. Her eyes found his and, as hard as her reason begged her to pull away, her hand took his under the table.

"You have?" She whispered through the lump in her throat. Her mind filled with an old saying she had once been told. _Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast. _It was all too fast.

_But_ _how can I be moving too fast? _Her mind screamed at her. _ I am months away from becoming a nun…a NUN Maria. I can't move at ANY speed with a man, especially one holding the entire future of the abbey._

Maxim began to move closer to her in the booth. Maria felt anxious, but couldn't speak, couldn't move, barely struggled to blink. The warm tingling in the center of her body that had been growing since she met him suddenly went into overdrive and began to spread. She realized they were sitting side by side in the booth, their thighs touching under the table but her thoughts were molasses, slow to form and unable to elicit a physical reaction.

Hesitation and uncertainty flashed in Maria's eyes, as she tried in vain to regain control of the situation. Maxim's face began moving towards hers. Her mind was paralyzed and nature kicked in, closing her eyes as Maxim gently kissed her. Warmth radiated through her body at her first kiss, and her stomach clenched with guilt at the taste of wine now on her lips.

Before she could react, he moved in for another kiss. Her mind went blank as his lips moved against hers. She felt dizzy and her hands were shaking, yet she couldn't seem to pull herself away. Completely paralyzed, Maria felt like an outsider watching this blonde stranger kiss Maxim, completely unable to do anything about it.

Maxim pulled away, gazing at Maria's lips, amazed that he had actually kissed those beautiful lips. She was a nun, or at least going to be. He was leaving for Vienna soon. She was so beautiful. Unfortunately she was not rich, far from it, but she seemed to hold a power over him that he could not explain.

The chime of the cuckoo clock in the restaurant finally pulled Maria back to her pseudocoma.

"Midnight?!" She almost shouted, immediately grateful her mind had begun to function again. "How can it be midnight? The gates close at ten! Sister Bertha will have me scrub the entire abbey tomorrow if she finds out" In the back of her mind she knew it wasn't that big of a deal – she had scaled the fence before and could easily do it again – however, her strong reaction pulled focus, allowing her to escape from having to react to his advances.

Maxim quickly stood up. "Then we best be getting back to the abbey and sneak you in. I wouldn't want to see my star with skinned knees and soapy hands!" Together they rushed to the car, and sped back to the abbey, arriving two minutes later. Neither spoke a word about what had just happened at the restaurant.

Maria quickly jumped out of the car, and made to run around the back of the abbey. There was a large tree she knew she could climb to get back inside. . "Maria, wait!" Maxim's soft, gentle voice made her turn in surprise. "I've had a wonderful evening, thank you. I-" Maxim's voice faltered as he searched for the right word. "I-I really like you. Perhaps we could see each other like this again?" He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

Maria's stomach fluttered at his words, but the pleasant sensation was quickly replaced with a consuming guilt. Not wanting to hurt the man in front of her, but completely lost for words, she softly whispered "I suppose I will see you again for rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for dinner and good night." Maria hurried into the darkness, petrified at what the morning might bring, who she would see when she looked in the mirror in the sun's early rays.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

Maria groaned as the tolling bells woke her from her slumber. It was time for morning mass. Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, Maria realized she was already running late. She quickly sat up in bed then fell back on her pillow, a horrible headache pounding behind her eyes. She was still physically exhausted and emotionally anxious and cognitively confused. She had hardly slept the night before, her mind completely entangled with thoughts of Maxim, his offers and promises, the Reverend Mother, her calling, the kiss, the choir…The guilt she felt for her feelings was inescapable, and she was completely unable to rationalize anything. If felt like her mind was running circles around and around, possible contributing to her nausea

"Oh what have I done" she murmured to herself, burying her face in her pillow.

"Maria, you know you can't fall for a man like that!" she groaned. " Good Lord, please help me. He has filled me with so many questions, so much doubt and desire, guilt and confusion"

The bell for mass tolled again. Maria sat up and began pacing around her room, debating how she would face the others when in such a state of confusion and guilt.

"Mother will know immediately something happened…she knows everything happening in the abbey…probably saw me climbing the wall… midnight? What was I thinking?" she was practically tearing her hair up as her mind continued the dialogue that had been running on repeat since she returned hours before.

Her headache worsened as the bells tolled a final time – she was officially late for mass. Making a rash decision, Maria rummaged under her mattress and pulled out an old dress she had stored since the homeless shelter had refused it- something about the poor requiring a certain level of quality in their clothing.

Maria's gaze panned over her small chambers, now acting as a prison to her. Her eyes came to rest upon the small window she had crawled through only six hours ago. She reached the window and gazed out, seeing the grounds empty as the sisters were all at mass. The wall surrounding the abbey was directly below her, though quite a few feet down. The previous night, after crawling over the short wall of the abbey, she had simply dropped into the courtyard and returned to her room via the front door of the sleeping quarters, then climbed the stairs and entered as she would normally. This morning, however, any sisters that were tardy for mass would be coming down the halls, and she could not risk being caught.

_If I can crawl down the bricks, brick by brick, holding onto a bed sheet tied to my bedpost, I should be able to scale down the wall. I will land either in between the walls separating the sleeping quarters and the outside wall, or on the wall if I can swing my body that far out. If I land on the ground, someone may see me, but if I land on the wall, I should remain unseen. _Maria thought to herself, the plan quickly forming. She had to laugh at her own conniving, reminding herself of Dantes escaping from the Chateau d'If in a favourite novel, The Count of Monte Cristo.

Her decision made, Mariaa quickly tied the sheet to the bedpost and tried to squeeze her body out the window. Halfway out, she felt her dress rip on a nail from the windowsill, and the bottom hem gracefully fluttered to the ground below her. Maria paused, detaching herself from the nail before continuing her quick descent, and to her utter amazement, her plan went as she hoped, landing on the wall.

Grinning with pride, Maria reached for the loose brick of the wall she had seen from her window. With skilled fingers she tied it to the sheet, pulled back and let it fly, hoping it would sail through her open window so the sisters would not notice the bed sheet hanging out the window. To her horror, the brick did not sail through her window, but crashed through the glass of Sister Sophia's bedchamber.

Maria quickly jumped to the ground on the other side of the wall, where freedom was at last hers. She was thankful no one has seen her. She would have to confess to the broken window later that evening when she returned but couldn't bring herself to deal with the consequences in that instant.

What Maria did not know, what that someone had seen her climbing from her window, and then throw the brick through the glass pane. The Reverend Mother sat calmly in her office, watching the young postulant escape. She was not worried about the departure, certain that Maria would return when evening fell, but was deeply concerned of the motives for the rapid departure. Knowing the postulant's whereabouts the night before, and having watched Maria climb over the wall at midnight with a frightened deer look in her eyes, she had her suspicions.

The Reverend Mother gazed out at the Alps, wondering what God's plan was for this child. It was obvious to everyone but Maria that the young postulant would never be a nun. She was too full of spirit and song, with had a temper like an angry dog. Mother Abyss began sorting through the mail, eager to rid her of the thoughts of how to inform Maria that she would be leaving, though where to remained a mystery. She knew of Maria's past, and how much Maria needed a place where she felt accepted. The decision to release her from her postulate duties no matter the intention, had taken much deliberation and conversation with the Mistress of Novices. .

Her eyes fell upon a personalized envelope, with a family seal on it. It was a rare occasion for her to receive mail from an honored person. As she read the letter from Captain Georg von Trapp, the clouds parted, leaving the sun to shine brightly. The Reverend Mother knew it—it was a sign from God. _Thank you Lord, for giving me a way to guide Maria down the correct path. _

"Sister Margaretta!" She called, as her helper walked it.

"Yes, Reverend Mother?"

"When Maria returns, will you please send her to my office? I wish to speak to her. There is no use looking for her now, I would begin searching after supper. In the meantime, if you would please pack together her things, I would gratefully appreciate it."

"Certainly Reverend Mother, but if you don't mind me asking, where is Maria going?" Sister Margaretta's confusion was evident.

"The Lord will show everyone in His own good time." The Reverend Mother smiled, wondering herself what direction Maria's life would be taking as she picked up her phone and dialed the number in the letter.

* * *

It was an unusually beautiful day for May, without a raincloud in sight. The sun had climbed high in the sky as Maria neared the familiar clearing in the midst of a green forest, on top of her favourite mountain. She smiled as she remember when she was young and the other children used to tease her that it was 'her mountain' because she spent so much time on it, reading, singing, practicing the guitar, watching the clouds, doing her homework, making edelweiss chains, singing…she never brought anybody up here with her, but they all knew where she ran off to at the lunch hour.

Twenty minutes later the mountain had again worked its magic. Maria forgot all her problems with Maxim, the Reverend Mother, the abbey, and enjoyed the beauty of nature. As her heart swelled with memories and a joyful sense of freedom, she began to sing the song she sang every time she came here, her mountain song. The cool breeze swished through Maria's short hair and skirt as she twirled and spun on the mountain, the sun warming the top of her head as she again regretted choosing to cut her hair so short when she entered the abbey. How wonderful it was to be once again on her mountain, with no wall or rules constricting her.

As she danced around the mountain and sang at the top of her lungs, she gazed into the distance, she could see the white mansion in the Aigen's district. She thought back to her senior year of high school, when she would make her daily visit to the mountain, if only for another minute, to watch the home being built. On her trip back to her uncle's, she would daydream she was on her way to the large white house, her home, which she imagined must be filled with warmth and love simply because of the beauty of the architecture and grounds.

The butterflies from the past evening were gone, and the guilt that had been all-consuming in the confines of the abbey could now be more reasonably dealt with. With her feet soaking in the cool waters of the stream, Maria tried to reason with herself; however, no matter which way she approached the problem she remained divided: her id pushing her to take a chance a life outside the abbey, a life with him and her superego screaming the risks and consequences of that decision.

The faint sounds of the tolling bells at the abbey that had signaled her escape that morning now sent a wave of disappointment down Maria. _What would I give to stay out here and not face the questions and consequences. _Maria thought glumly as she quickly ran back to the abbey. She had no more answers than when she had left, but was in a calmer state of mind

She knew from the setting sun that it was late, and that by now she would have been missed. She had no idea how to explain what had happened the previous night to herself, let alone to the Sister Margaretta or Sister Bertha, and what to say to the Reverend Mother was impossible to plan. But the bells called her home as she raced down the mountain.

* * *

The Revered Mother watched from her office as Maria ran to the gates, and ran through, right into Sister Margaretta who was waiting. _She'll be here shortly._

True to her prediction, ten minutes later a breathless Maria entered the office for a conversation that, unbeknownst to her, would drastically change her life.

"Reverend Mother!, I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. The hills were beckoning and before-" Maria gasped as she ran into the room, and fell to her knees beside her.

"Child, I have not summoned you here for apologies." The Reverend Mother couldn't help but keep a small smile from appearing on her face.

"Oh, but do let me ask for forgiveness. Yes you see…" Maria' s voice faltered for a moment as she tried to decide on an appropriate excuse for leaving the abbey. "the sky was so blue today, and everything was so green and fragrant, I just had to be a part of it!" Maria smiled slightly. At least she wasn't lying! "The Untersberg kept leading me higher and higher like it wanted me to go right through the clouds with it!"

"Suppose darkness had come and you were lost?" the Reverend Mother decided to humour the young girl, knowing full well this was not the first time Maria had left the abbey to explore the mountains.

"Oh Mother I could never be lost up there. That's my mountain. It's the mountains that brought me to you!"

"That would have been five years ago, my child?" the Reverend Mother saw her opening in the conversation and decided it was time to reach the point of this meeting.

"Within a few months, yes." Maria felt a twinge of panic run down her spine. _What does she mean asking me this? _She couldn't help but wonder. _She could not be preparing me to take my vows, especially after what happened today! And Sister Sophia's window…_

"Oh Mother before another word is spoken I must apologize. This morning while…leaving…I accidentally broke Sister Sophia's window. I will be sure to apologize to her immediately, and please take whatever measures you deem necessary for my punishment"

The Reverend Mother sighed, and with supreme effort managed to suppress her growing smile at the young woman's antics. "My child, have you ever seriously considered God's will for you?" she didn't know how else to begin this conversation, without making Maria too upset.

"I believe He wants me to remain with you and the sisters, and become one of his followers." Maria added cautiously, putting a particular emphasis on 'stay here'. After all the thought she had put into this very question today and for the past few weeks, it seemed ominous for the Revered Mother to mention her leaving.

It was as if the clouds fogging her brain had lifted; the answer she had been searching for was suddenly very clear, as Maria felt only dread at the thought of leaving the abbey. In that instant she realized she did not want to be with Maxim enough to give up everything she knew and everyone she cared out. She could not lose herself to become the person he was asking her to be.

"Maria, I believe that God has another plan for you, at least until the beginning of September. I have received a letter from Captain von Trapp requesting a governess until this time. I now ask that you accept this position."

"Captain?" Maria automatically asked, her mind refusing to register fully what the Reverend Mother was telling her.

"A retired officer of the Imperial Navy. A fine man and a brave one. His poor wife died leaving him alone with the children. I understand he has had the most difficult time keeping a governess."

A sudden realization hit Maria with such impact; she nearly fell out of her chair.

"But Reverend Mother, Ma—Herr Detweiller! I couldn't possibly leave the choir now, not with the promises we have made to the choir!"

"My child, the choir sang before you came, and will continue once you are gone. I understand Herr Detweiller's proposal was dependent on your presence; however, I believe your talents and faith would be put to better use elsewhere. The choir will have another opportunity, if the Lord so chooses."

"But Maxim said…" Maria cut herself short, realizing of course that she couldn't tell her Maxim's plans without sounding conceited and vain. "What do you mean my faith will be put to test?" she asked, blocking thoughts of the man from her mind and grounding herself in the Reverend Mother's words.

The Reverend Mother gave her a small smile, wondering how many of the details she should tell. "Five years ago the Captain lost his wife to Scarlet Fever. Since then, his house has changed. You will see when you arrive tomorrow. I hope, that you will be able to restore some faith and hope in the seven children while you are there."

Maria quickly centered on one detail. "Seven children!" she exclaimed.

"Do you like children?"

"Well yes, but seven! How can I take care of seven children? I can barely take care of myself at times! Where ever did he find a house to hold seven children!?" Maria became frantic, worrying about her capabilities.

The Reverend Mother smiled at Maria's outburst. _At least she can see past her nose to her own faults. _She couldn't help but think. "The Captain lives in the big white house in Aigen, a suburb of Salzburg along the Mirmachi Lake. I'm sure you have seen it. It has gates surrounding it, and many acres of land out back. A fine house, and a beautiful one.

Maria gasped. She knew that house. She knew that house very well.

The Reverend Mother stood. "Sister Margaretta has packed your things, and they are waiting for you in your room. You will leave first thing in the morning. I hope you have a pleasant stay there, and I will inform Herr Detweiller that you will not be returning to the choir until September. Perhaps, if it is God's will, he may return next year when you are both…ready…to have a **_professional_** relationship together; however, Maria?"

The Reverend Mother's voice took on a tone of the utmost seriousness and the stillness of the room unnerved the young postulant.

"Yes?" she whispered, afraid of what the woman she had always looked up to would say.

"I suggest that while you are at the villa, you take time to seriously consider God's will for you. I understand you feel as if this is your home as you have never experienced anything else; however, before you take your vows my child do consider if you are staying here from pure devotion or because you are scared of the other possibilities. You have a great capacity to love, Maria. What you must find out is how God wants you to spend that love. Now I must be going to talk to the pastor about Good Friday's gospel. I wish you the best of luck, and may the Lord show you your path in His own good time."

Maria's breath caught as she realized their meeting was over. There was still so much that needed to be said, so much to explain. The disappointment in the Reverend Mother's voice was heartbreaking to the young postulant who saw the elderly woman as a mother-figure, and to leave under these circumstances was devastating.

"Reverend Mother?" Maria began in a small voice she had not used in many years. "I truly am sorry – sorry for losing this opportunity for the choir, for the poor reputation my actions may give the abbey, and mostly for disappointing you and God. I don't understand how everything became so out of control. If I could go back, there are so many things I would do differently." She was telling the entire truth. Now, realizing she was about to lose not only Max but her only true home and family, Maria's priorities had dramatically shifted and she began to realize the foolishness of her actions the past month.

The Reverend Mother turned from the door towards the seated postulant.

"Thank you, Maria. It is my prayer that someday we can reminisce on these events and see them not as an ending, but as the beginning of something wonderful. Please listen carefully my child, while you are at the villa you are in the capacity of a governess, and nothing more. Until your return I ask that you do not consider yourself to be a postulant, and are not constrained by the rules of the abbey. Live. Do not allow what has been to blind you to what may come. " The Reverend Mother spoke seriously, smiled with a mother's love at the young woman, and closed the door behind her.

Maria sat perfectly still, memorizing the conversation as closely as possible. Her face reddened remembering the emphasis the Reverend Mother had placed on her professionalism. As much as she would have liked to have been upset at the implication, she knew that the Reverend Mother was correct—she had been inappropriate with the man, had been caught up in his promises. The distance would allow her to re-center herself and recognize that her love of God surpassed any human desire.

At least that's what her mind told her…her heart, however, continued to speed at the thought of their kisses, and her chest felt tight at the thought of not seeing those sparking brown eyes for another year. She refused to let herself dwell on the Reverend Mother's emphasis on her place in the world—the abbey was her entire world and she could not imagine herself living anywhere else.

The final comment made by the Reverend Mother, the one she had emphasized so heavily, would not register with Maria until weeks later, when it would first become an excuse and again months later when she would realize the importance of this statement.

The rest was history. Maria went to the castle, met the children and soon gained their love and respect. The angry and commanding Captain, much to her relief, left the morning of her second day there, so Maria never really got to know him. All she could tell was that he was a very strong-willed man, with a quick temper.

The first half a month passed without much conflict. She had taught the children to sing, finding them much more receptive to her lessons than the sisters ever were.

And now the Captain was back, with two friends in tow, and her world had again been flipped 180 degrees.

After everything she had gone through trying to forget Maxim, he was suddenly back. She could have kicked herself for not once considering "Uncle Max" could be Maxim – in retrospect the children's description of their uncle fit the man she knew perfectly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"How is this possible?" Maxim…Uncle Max…'s voice brought Maria back from the wave of memories that had washed over her.

"I went back." He continued, a desperate look in his eye. "The next afternoon. You never showed up. The Reverend Mother said that the Lord had sent you on a new path, and that you could not be contacted. I begged her for an address, but she only insisted that because you were gone our contract was annulled and something about the Lord's will!"

Maria listened to Maxim's rant as though her head was underwater.

"I apologize…I didn't know where to contact you, and I was instructed to leave early that morning" she stammered, suddenly very conscious that the Baroness, the children, and worst of all, the Captain were staring at the two.

"To come here" Max half-laughed.

"To come here" Maria echoed back, her expression still as one who had just seen a ghost.

The moment of silence that ensued lasted a lifetime.

"I take it you know each other?" the surprise in the Captain's tone evident.

"Maria was the lead in a choir I had chosen to promote. Unfortunately when I returned to the abbey, she was gone and I no longer may enter their choir." Max tactfully responded, internally grinning at the rosy shade the governess's cheeks at turned at the Captain's question.

The Captain gave a short, quick nod, obvious that he could tell there was more to their story than met the eye. He quickly turned to his children, who were still standing, dumbstruck, with their eyes bulging, and moth gaped. For some odd reason, the Captain felt like standing stunned at his children. He didn't quite know what to think, everything in his world was changing so quickly.

Maria could feel the tension build, and could read the questions coming from their eyes. She looked down, embarrassed by their stares. She noticed her damp dress and the small pool of water forming at her feet.

A thought suddenly made her loose her breath. She had to leave…the Captain had just fired her. What had just been a devastating reality was suddenly complicated all the more. Perhaps she could see some benefit to returning to the abbey. Did she want to stay here in such close proximity to the man she had been trying so hard to forget?

The same conflict that had plagued her thoughts only three weeks ago resumed; however, this time the Captain had made the impossible decision for her.

"I will go pack, Captain" Maria announced softly, offering a soft smile to the children as she left the room, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. She did not look back at Max, not knowing how to react. She heard some commotion behind her, but did not allow herself to turn back as she made her way towards her room.

"Fraulein Maria." A deep voice pulled her from her thoughts as her feet drew her up the stairs. She paused and turned to see the Captain who had obviously been following her. She trembled as she stood two stairs above him, partially from the cold and partially from his presence. Around him her every emotion seemed to be magnified – her defiance, her temper, and apparently her vulnerability.

"Yes, Captain?" She asked, suddenly very aware of the fact that her dress was a bit see-through, and was clinging to her body. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, and felt a shiver go down her spine and her stomach clenched at his presence.

"I…I wanted thank you. You were right – I don't know my children." She would have been less shocked if she saw the Reverend Mother doing the tango dressed as an American.

To his annoyance and amusement, in true character Maria interjected into his dialogue "there's still time, Captain. The children want so much to be close to you." She didn't know where this sudden change in personality was coming from, but if he was willing to put a new foot forward, she would encourage it to the moon and back.

The Captain's heart skipped a beat at the young beautiful woman's words so full of truth and promise. There was nothing in the world he wanted more than her belief to be true, and the governesses' blue sincere expression somehow filled him with hope.

"I want you to stay" The realization came from his heart and out of his mouth before his mind had time to process it.

And it felt right.

The moment on the terrace with this spitfire had been a wakeup call, and singing with the children had forced him to acknowledge the truth in her words. After all these years the Captain finally could see the hurt and loneliness in his children's eyes, and it devastated him. The moment Marta ran into his arms he knew. He would do anything to make it up to them. Even if meant admitting his mistakes to this woman that seemed to hold his children's hearts.

"I…ask you to stay." He allowed the slightest smile to cross his face as colour brightened the woman's perfectly clear complexion, and that spark that had been in her eyes the night of the rainstorm when she was dancing around the bedroom with his children, right before she recognized his presence, returned to the blue orbits.

"If I could be of any help" she cautiously responded, still uncertain of her place with this man to whom she had barely spoken except in criticism yet uncharacteristically desired to please. She was floored by his request – she would have never imagined he would allow her on his grounds again, let alone insist on her presence. She could not understand what had changed his mind – the children's singing? That was the only thing that had happened in the past five minutes. Something had happened inside of him, some neurons that had been silent finally begun to fire again. She was beyond curious what had prompted his change of character – the sound of his children singing must have made him realize…well something. But she recognized this was not the moment to ask questions and didn't pursue the line of questioning.

"You have already…more than you know. I'm positive the children would never forgive me if you left, so my request is primarily for my own sanity!." The Captain laughed.

She had never before heard his rich laugh and his playfulness filled her with an unexpected joy. Maria blushed at the small hidden compliment in his comment; very surprised at the warmth her cheeks took on.

"Thank you Captain. I should change before it is time for dinner." A feeling of slight queasiness threatened Maria's stomach as her eyes stayed focused on his face as rays of the setting sun on his casting a glow behind him. The past ten minutes had taken twenty years off his life and he no longer looked like a veteran, a scholar, or captain, just a simple man.

"No, thank you fraulein. You have given me back the most precious things, my children. I'm sure Max will be waiting for you downstairs. I can prepare the children for supper. You two will probably want to…" Ahem. "…become reacquainted." The Captain cleared his throat, a small bump forming halfway down that he refused to consciously recognize.

Maria's eyes widened at the mention of Max—when the Captain had asked her to stay he hadn't crossed her mind—such a difference from how enamored she had been with him only a few weeks ago.

"Captain, Max and I-" Maria began but for a change was cut off by the Captain.

"Not now, fraulein. You are dripping wet and must be freezing. What is between you and Max is yours. I must admit I am terribly surprised but I will not ask questions or interfere so long as it does not interfere with your time with the children."

Maria looked at the Captain, appalled at the thought. "Never" she vehemently promised.

With a curt nod the Captain turned and descended the stairs to rejoin his family.

Maria quickly showered and changed into a light green dress trying in vain to determine what had caused such a dramatic shift in the Captain's personality. Mr. Hyde was finally gone and the goodness of Dr. Jekyll could shine through. She decided it was a thought for another time – now she had to concentrate on what to say to the man waiting for her downstairs.

After pulling a brush through her still damp hair once, she took a deep breath and descended the stairs and walked into the loving room, still utterly uncertain what to say or how to act.

Max was seated on the couch and analyzed her as she walked in. She was wearing a pea-green dress, which in all honesty, made her hair seem a slight shade of green as well. It was, however, a drastic improvement from the black robes to which he had grown accustomed. He internally shook his head at the young woman, whose hair was hanging loose and wet down her back, and he was again reminded of how different she was from the elite of Vienna.

"I was wondering if you were coming back down, darling." Max smiled at her as she entered the room, paused to consider where she should sit, then opted to join him on the couch, albeit as far away as she could get.

"It's nice to see you again, Max" Maria ignored her distaste at his term of endearment, eager to finally have an uninterrupted conversation with him. There was so much to discuss, but she had no idea where to start. To be quite honest, she wasn't sure where she wanted the conversation to end.

Without saying anything, Max leaned over and gently kissed her, before backing away with a slight smile on his face. His intentions were clear. He hoped to continue their relationship where it had left off. Maria's stomach felt like it dropped out of her body and waves of unbearable heat followed by shiver-inducing cold rushed through her veins.

She pulled away immediately. "Maxim…Max I suppose. Please…we need to talk about this." She gestured between him and her.

Max sighed, despising the talking part of relationships and eager to kiss her lips, warm from her shower, again.

"I suppose you're right. Let me be blunt – when I returned to the abbey and your Reverend Mother informed me that you had left and that I would no longer be promoting the choir this season I was very upset. She would not tell me where you were and asked that I did not seek you out. I assumed that family had taken ill and you were required elsewhere."

Maria was surprised that Max would not have realized his actions might have upset her the evening prior to her sudden departure; however, she did not pursue the topic as he continued:

"I am very fond of you Maria. I understand you are a postulant; however, this being said you are not yet a nun and therefore certain…rules…that must be followed by the sisters are not currently your own. Further, you are right now acting as a governess and not a postulant, therefore such regulations should not apply. Finally, what are the chances that you would end up the governess of my childhood best friend? Tell me this isn't fate."

A sudden recollection of the Reverend Mother's words, only weeks ago, startled Maria so much she almost missed Max's continued speech.

"So here is my proposition" he continued, taking full control of their conversation. He had spent the past 20 minutes deciding exactly how he was going to handle their first discussion.

Maria noted that the man truly enjoyed hearing himself speak

"Allow me to teach you about a relationship with someone other than God. You are free to back out at any time, and can set any limits you deem appropriate." With the reds and oranges of the sunset reflecting off the girl's damp hair and the softness of her hand in his, he would have promised her anything. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, had noticed that she had not rushed back into his arms.

As a producer, Max studied people. Possible talents, judges, financial donors…his livelihood depended on him suspecting how people would react before the reaction occurred. She was ready to run. An amateur could tell. He had returned to Vienna after she had disappeared thinking he would move on soon enough; however, to his dismay the women he used to find attractive had grown self-absorbed and intolerable. He had been hesitant to return to Salzburg when Elsa had invited him along a couple days ago, but rationalized it may be the first step towards getting over the one that got away. It was the best decision he had ever made. He would do whatever it would take to keep her on his side. Promise anything.

Maria looked down at their intertwined hands, unaware when he had taken hers. She had no idea what to tell the man who clearly was looking for an immediate answer. While part of her longed for the closeness that his offer promised—the sense of belonging, safety, and not to mention the obvious attraction she had for him since their first meeting, another less vocal part was riddled with uncertainty of his intentions and wariness of his promises.

She had never been good at saying no to anybody. Always uncomfortable asking others for favours or disappointing those around her, Maria couldn't bear the thought of hurting this funny, charming man who was clearly going out of his way to accommodate her hesitancy. Combined with the Reverend Mother's directions to experience life, she had no choice but to agree.

"That would be acceptable" she smiled shyly at her, and with a huge grin akin to a small child on Christmas, he pulled her closer to himself on the couch and rested his forehead in her hair. She laughed at his playfulness, though the closeness unnerved her. She wasn't used to being touched, let alone held. He didn't notice.

"So you will be my girlfriend?" Max asked, hoping she would give him a starting point.

Maria cringed at the title, hating to be labeled as anything but herself. She did, however, understand she should give the man some indication of what they were.

"You know I can't make long-term promises, Max, but the Reverend Mother has relieved me of the abbey's restraints for the as long as I am away. So for now, yes, I will be your girlfriend. But Max, be patient with me?" she asked in a small voice, her face partially hidden in the crux of his elbow where she felt hidden. "This is all new, and a huge step and…well it scares me" she almost hated to admit the last bit, but was well acquainted with the importance of honesty.

"Done" he promised, kissing her on the top of her head then leaned away slightly to give her some space. "We'll start slow. So tell me, how have you been?" Max asked with a deep breath to remain calm. If she wanted to take things slow, he could do that. At least for a while.

"Busy!" Maria smiled, her mind jumping suddenly to seven smiling faces and a comfortable subject for discussion.

"Two weeks alone with the seven of them. I am truly amazed you are still here and smiling." Max admitted, running his thumb lightly over her nails of the hand he was still holding on to.

"They are wonderful, and so much more talented than the sisters and other postulants! Not to mention if I want to start a marching choir with them, they are well practiced!" she laughed.

"von Trapp children don't play, they march" Max agreed, echoing the words of Frau Schmidt weeks prior.

"Not anymore" Maria admitted sheepishly.

"No, now they apparently swim and sing." Max responded softly. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"A good day, I hope?"

"Like a day from the past" Max admitted.

Maria was about to ask what he meant when their conversation was interrupted with the sound of a throat clearing form the doorway.

In synch the couple turned to find the Captain standing in the doorway looking uncomfortable and a little lost.

Maria unconsciously pulled away from Max and sat a little straighter. Despite his blessing earlier, she felt uncomfortable being found in a friendly position with her employer's best friend. The entire situation was unusual, and Maria was determined not to make the Captain feel uncomfortable in his own home. She immediately noticed that he was upset about something, it was very apparent in his eyes, and she prayed that it had nothing to do with her and Max.

The Captain cleared his throat, surprised at the lump that had again formed. "It is time for dinner. I expect you will be on time tonight, Fraulein?" Maria's face broke into an instinctive grin, as the two of them shared their first inside joke.

_The Captain has a sense of humour. Who would have imagined? _Maria puzzled happily as the trio made their way towards the dining room.

Dinner that evening was, in the Captain's mind, an absolute circus only without a ringmaster. The children were all trying to tell him about the adventures they had with their fraulein while he was away, and the noise level in the room was sufficient to cause both the Baroness and Max to leave the dinner table soon after the main course was served, complaining of headaches. Several times the Captain looked to the governess to see if she would settle the children, but the genuine smile gracing her face informed him that she loved the chaos and commotion and decided it wasn't worth the argument.

"Fraulein Maria" Brigitta suddenly asked in a break in the conversation.

"Yes Brigitta?"

"Will we still get our field trip tomorrow?"

The Captain raised his eyes quickly. It sounded like their entire time with this young fraulein had been a vacation.

"Field trip? Now you're going to convince me you got some work done while I was away?" he asked, making his voice as joking as possible.

"Yes Father" Louisa answered seriously. "While you were away we completed all our lessons you had assigned for us. Fraulein Maria said that if we did our work every day, instead of having study period one morning, she would take us to town on a field-trip!"

"But you father just returned. Perhaps we can go next week once you've been reacquainted?" Maria suggested. She hated the idea of tearing the children away from the Captain when he was finally starting to make amends for the many lost years.

"Nonsense." The Captain immediately announced in response to the instantaneous fall of seven faces. "From what I have heard of your adventures, fraulein, I am certain tomorrow will be an…interesting experience. If it is alright with all of you, I would love to join you."

Eight sets of eyes moistened slightly at his words, and Marta wordlessly left her chair and crawled into her father's lap, burying her face in his shoulder.

"We would love to have you." Maria softly answered, with a slight inclination of her head and a smile of encouragement directed at him.

The Captain soundlessly mouthed "thank you" before her buried his nose in Marta's hair.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left me a review. It is so rewarding to hear any feedback, and it brightens the whole day. I understand right now the pairing isn't what anyone is looking for but please, just stick with me. I hope you enjoy - next chapter the fun gets started on their field trip!**

Chapter Six

That evening after dinner, for the first time in years, the entire family was gathered in the living room, entirely immersed in conversation. The Baroness and Max had not emerged since their departure at supper, leaving the children, the Captain, and Maria to catch up on the last five years.

Maria watched with joy as the children slowly warmed up to their father. At first the seven children had steered clear of the Captain both physically and in their conversation, uncertain what had changed, and worried they would trigger his changing back. Soon, however, the younger girls were awash in glee as he bounced them on his knees, and even Kurt and Brigitta seized the opportunity to recount to their father of the adventures of the past month. The three eldest children, however, remained skeptical, answering his questions primarily with one word answers. Forgiveness takes more than an evening conversation.

The clock struck bedtime and Brigitta, the child with the most in common with their father, turned to her governess.

"Fraulein Maria, may we stay up for just another half hour?"

Maria couldn't bear to deny the child another minute with the man, and Marta and Gretl had long ago fallen asleep on the couch and seemed quite content.

"I don't see why not" she agreed, leaning back against the wall from her position on the floor next to Friedrich with whom she had been playing dominos.

"I certainly can see why not." the Captain raised an eyebrow at Maria with a stern look on his face. "If you become accustomed to late nights, it will be quite difficult to re-acclimatize in September when school starts."

"But half an hour-" she began, only to be cut off by him again.

"A half hour today, an hour tomorrow…I will not have by children up all night and sleeping until noon each day."

Maria could have slapped him.

"Captain, may I have a word?" she managed to spit out, gesturing to the hallway. The seven children remained silent, recognizing the father they had lived with for the past five years emerging once more.

To Maria's relief, the Captain moved the sleeping girls off his lap and followed her into the hall without question.

"What _now_, fraulein?" he asked when the door was closed.

"Captain, I respect that they are your children, but as long as I am in this home as a governess, they are my charges. I recognize our ideals of raising children are different, but I will not have you undermining by decisions in front of them. You of all people should understand the importance of respect and I demand it, not only from them but from you."

She tried to keep her voice steady.

"Excuse me?" he asked coldly.

"This afternoon you professed a desire to 'get to know the children' yet now when Brigitta is practically begging for more time with you, you blatantly refuse."

"It is their bedtime, Fraulein. Rules are rules." His voice was strong in the otherwise quiet house.

"It's their summer vacation."

"They are following a strictly planned schedule. I will not have my children become wild hooligans. Deviations cannot be tolerated."

"Cannot be tolerated by whom? You are not their commander; you are their father. There is no in-between, Captain. Either you want to be an integral part of their lives, which will include bending your strict rules every now and then because that is how a family functions, or you will continue to watch their childhoods pass as an outsider."

She didn't know where she got the courage from to speak to him in such a way, again, but the words continued to pour out.

"They're just children, Captain. They're desperate to know and love you." She continued in a softer tone.

The Captain leaned his head back against the wall behind him, processing. His first instinct was to jump back with a defensive remark, or better yet go on the offensive and take control, but he forced himself to try to think rationally.

"It's so much easier, treating this house as if it was a submarine" he admitted.

"Change isn't easy and doesn't happen immediately. Give it time." Maria's heart went out to the man in a clear struggle with himself.

"I don't know where to start." He finally made eye contact, realizing this argument was ending exactly where he had feared the one that afternoon would, in his vulnerability. What he had fought so desperately against was surfacing regardless.

"Start at the beginning" Maria suggested as she had that afternoon on the mountain with the children. "Come with me to tuck them into bed tonight. Then tomorrow is the field trip. We'll take it day by day."

We. The thought brought hope to the Captain.

"You'll help me?"

"If I have your respect and trust."

The Captain internally chuckled, half expecting the governess to spit in her hand and shake on it. "You do."

"Then I believe there are seven children who would love to have a father tuck them in for the night."

"I thought you wanted the children to spend more time with me?"

"It is now over a half hour past their bedtime, and they have a busy day tomorrow."

"Ah yes, the field trip."

"Besides, I wouldn't want them to become _hooligans_ under my watch."

"You mock me, fraulein."

"Someone has to, Captain." With a laugh, Maria turned her back on the Captain and walked back to where the children were sitting, pretending they had not heard every word that had been spoken.

With stars shining brightly overhead a woman and a man they loved with all their hearts kissed the children goodnight. Gretl and Marta fell asleep back instantly as the Captain kissed them each on the forehead, and the older children glowed when both Maria and the Captain agreed to let them read in bed until their eyes became droopy.

As Maria quietly closed the door to Kurt and Friedrich's room, she was astonished by an all-consuming sense of peace…the same feeling she strived to find each time she sang. She never before had felt so loved, safe, and with purpose as she did when she was with these children. Strangely enough, she felt closer to God in this home, where she could actively follow His teachings and pass along His words than she ever did in the abbey where she could learn all the psalms, but had no way of using these messages to better lives. These startling realizations made her pause, as the Reverend Mother's voice filled her consciousness "you must find out is how God wants you to spend that love". The startling possibility that this could be the answer—a houseful of children—was more than Maria's tired mind could process, and quieted the young woman.

The Captain immediately noticed the change in her affect. The energetic, laughing fraulein he had seen interacting with his children, and the spitfire he had argued with all day was now quiet, with a pensive look clearly written across her face. She suddenly looked lost, and without thought he offered her his arm, so he could lead her down to the drawing room. The two walked together in silence, both consumed with their own revelations of the day.

They had reached an unspoken truce rooted in deep respect for each other: for Maria's boldness and commitment to the children, for the Captain's desire to change and acceptance of his faults.

The two sat on the same couch where Maria and Max had been negotiating only hours earlier. The Captain was certain Max and the Baroness would appear within the next hour or so—both were night owls, probably an accustomed habit from all the balls and concerts they consistently attended that only began once the sun had set. The thought of them intruding seemed almost invasive to the Captain who was enjoying the calm comfortable silence of the room.

"Captain" Maria's soft voice broke into the comfortable silence. "Thank you for helping to put the children to bed".

The Captain smiled softly, his heart breaking at her innocent words. To have to thank a father for putting his own children to bed…he shook his head slightly at his selfishness and misery since Agathe's death. The realization that, though he had lost his love and his wife, the children had lost both their mother and their father nearly floored him as he took a shaky breath in, unable to respond.

The pain written across the Captain's face was evident to Maria; however, she kept quiet, knowing he would speak when he was ready. Though they sat on opposite ends of the couch, the magnetism Maria felt between her and this man…truly a stranger…was enough to create a connection far beyond the holding of a hand. They were bonded together by seven lives, stronger ties than either of them recognized in that moment.

The room remained silent for almost five minutes as the Captain visibly fought with his emotions. Maria remained silent, her eyes never leaving his face.

"Thank you for the opportunity. It was not deserved, but appreciated more than I can express" he finally responded in a clear voice, his eyes that rose to meet hers filled with unshed tears.

Maria remained silent certain that he had more that he had to get off of his chest. As usual, her assessment of him was correct.

"I…I don't know how to apologize to them. Tucking them in may be the beginning, but I don't know where to go from here." The Captain realized that he was speaking out loud, and to his children's governess, but he couldn't stop the words from spilling out. He recognized he had no one else to talk to—Elsa did not want to hear of his worries and sorrows, as though she too had lost her spouse she longer mourned his death. Max had been a good friend for many years; however, whenever the topic of Agathe arose he froze, uncertain what to say or how to act, and Georg hated putting him in that position. Death was not a welcomed topic for Max Detweiller.

"What can I do to make up for years of neglect when they needed me more than anything? Words aren't enough…new books or toys wouldn't even come close to what I owe my children." His voice broke at the end, and he closed his eyes to regain control of himself.

Maria's heart physically hurt as she gazed upon the broken man in front of her. She no longer could tell if he remembered that she was in the room, or if he was speaking to himself; however, he clearly needed guidance.

"Be with them now" she answered softly, causing his eyes to spring open.

"Do not try to buy back their love – their love for you is unconditional, and should not be cheapened with material goods. While you were away I heard countless stories, especially from Liesl and Friedrich, about the fishing and camping trips you would take them on. They want so much to be close to you."

The Captain nodded silently.

"Like coming with us tomorrow on our field trip. Kurt was so excited that he forgot to finish his dessert!"

Maria brilliant laugh brightened the solemn mood of the room, and filled the Captain's heart with such hope that he too had to laugh, though he was uncertain why Kurt skipping part of a meal was in any way amusing. He now realized he had so much to learn about his children, and this angel sent to him from God who now sat before him would be the one to guide his way.

"What are the plans for tomorrow, Georg?" Elsa's smooth voice broke through the cocoon Maria and the Captain had created, and the Captain immediately stood to greet her and Max as they entered the sitting room together. Without a thought Max immediately filled the Captain's spot on the far side of the couch, surprising Maria at his distance. She didn't worry about it for long.

"Tomorrow the children and Fraulein Maria have a field trip planned" the Captain began hesitantly, knowing it wasn't what Elsa had been hopeful. Realizing he knew no details of the plans, he gestured for Maria to elaborate.

Maria felt suddenly shy with the eyes of the other three adults, but after an abridged _I have confidence _she began to explain what her plans were for the following day.

"The children have been working very hard at their studies, and I promised them that once they completed a certain number of lessons that I would take them to town, as a form of applied and active learning."

The Baroness raised her eyebrows at the thought of taking seven children to town, but remained silent.

"Active learning?" Max asked, itching to hold her in his arms, but resisting as per their agreement. Though they hadn't discussed it, public displays of affection would probably not be acceptable. Not to mention the grief Elsa would put him through if she knew he was courting the help.

"Using what they have learned in real life, so to speak" she explained. "They have accomplished so much in the past two weeks" Maria continued, her pride in the children's skills evident. "Liesl has been learning about Mendelian genetics and has been working with a Punnett square to predict genotypes and their corresponding phenotypes. Friedrich decided to concentrate on mathematics, and has been working diligently at addition and subtraction of fractions. Louisa chose to study Austrian history, focusing on the eleventh century for the past week, and Kurt who always seemed to get lost on our picnics fittingly chose geography and cartography, learning to recognize symbols for mountain ranges, hospitals, mines…things like that. Liesl joked the only place he could find in an emergency would be the dining room table. Brigitta of course pleaded to be allowed to start on her reading list, and has just finished reading The Iliad and The Odyssey while researching both Greek and Roman mythology, emphasizing the characters in the poems. You don't want to get her started discussing Achilles and Helena unless you have at least an hour to spare. Finally, Marta asked to learn about flowers, so she concentrated on the ecology of the Alps—the trees, flowers, grasses, and animals including the Latin names which is a remarkable accomplishment for her age—and Gretl has been working on learning her numbers and has even begun addition! Oh, and I have been teaching them all English while we were out on our picnics!"

Maria was out of breath after explaining each of the children's work over the past few weeks, but the excitement was evident on her face as she waited for the Captain's response.

"I am very much impressed" he truthfully noted, shocked at their accomplishments—he knew the children's syllabus by heart, and many of the skills Fraulein Maria was describing were far beyond the scope of the requirements. "And I assume musical education has been a mandatory field of study in the Fraulein Maria academy of education?" the Captain smiled warmly, thoroughly fascinated in her ability to convince the children to study such detailed topics during their summer vacation.

"Naturally." She promptly responded, internally amazed at the complete change that had occurred in the Captain since he declared that the children should "conduct themselves with the utmost decorum".

"May I ask how you plan to incorporate all these activities into one field-trip?" he continued, not seeing any overlap in the subject areas.

"I'm afraid that's meant to be a surprise, Captain" Maria smiled at him. She had taken literally days to plan this excursion, and was determined that no one would know of her schemes until they were touring Salzburg.

"Then I look forward to tomorrow." The Captain returned her smile.

Immediately Maria felt Max shift around on his end of the couch, and the Baroness cleared her throat.

"Of course the children would be pleased to have both yourself and Max along as well" Maria addressed the Baroness, a slight redness to her cheeks as she recognized her rudeness. "I am hoping to leave here no later than 7:30, and have already spoken to Frau Schmidt about serving breakfast at 7:00". It is about a 20 minute walk into the main square."

Max and Elsa both visibly cringed at the early hour, but agreed to be ready.

Hearing the clock strike 10, Maria was shocked to note how late it was, and by association how long she must have been talking with the Captain.

"I should be getting to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day" she smiled slightly at the three. "Sleep well."

Max lazily stood as well. "If it'll be an early morning I suppose I should retire myself" he announced, offering his arm to Maria. "May I escort you to your room?" After a moment of hesitancy Maria accepted and the two left with warm wishes for a good sleep.

Once they were out of earshot, Elsa snidely remarked "I never thought I would see the day when Max Detweiller would be friends with, and offer his arm to a woman of no standing or fortune, let alone a postulant-turned-governess."

The Captain nodded slowly, suppressing the slight nausea that image brought. "Yet she is rather formidable, isn't she?"

Elsa eyed her Georg carefully, but as usually had no idea what was going on inside his head.

"I suppose we'll see" she noted carefully, before accepting Georg's arm to retire to her bedchambers.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who left a review - I really, really appreciate it. The city of Salzburg is absolutely stunning so I really allows the characters to explore parts of the hometown in this chapter, with hopefully not too, too much history! By all means, skim the 'history' parts if that's not your thing :) **

Chapter Seven

The next morning the children rose and dressed without complaint, as they hurried down the stairs to the dining room. Gretl was so excited she was bouncing in her seat, and all the children had a rosy glow to their cheeks in anticipation of the events of the day.

The meal was halfway finished before Max and Elsa finally arrived at the dining room, each asking only for a strong cup of coffee, and complaining that it was unnatural for humans to be awake before the sun came up. In their defense, neither had gone to sleep until only hours before the children were awoken.

Before long breakfast was finished, the children had stacked their dishes as their Fraulein had showed them on their first morning after the Captain had left, and the eleven of them were walking along the dusty road towards the heart of Salzburg. Both Elsa and Max had practically begged to take the car into town, but Maria had held her ground, stating they had a stop to make along the way.

The Captain had Gretl in one hand and Marta in the other, forcing the Baroness to walk alone behind them. She tried in vain to make conversation with Liesl, but quickly found the young girl had never been to any major social gatherings or plays nor knew any of Salzburg's gossip, and quickly ran out of topics of conversation.

Meanwhile, Maria and Max walked a few steps behind the large group, hurrying stragglers along.

Once Max had accepted that they would not be taking the car and would indeed have to walk the full twenty minutes, the trip became much more pleasant for Maria. He asked her about her singing and when that topic had been exhausted, Maria asked him about the music production business. He happily discussed the acts that he had put together, the prizes they had won, and the various concerts he regularly attended as they walked. Maria listened with rapt attention about the concerts and the music, and again felt the pang of longing to be a part of this industry. As much as she had enjoyed her time with the von Trapp children, an experience she would thank God for every day, the smallest part of her wished she could have been part of Max's act in the upcoming Salzburg music festival.

All too soon for ten of the eleven people they arrived at their first destination, a funicular railway that led up to the Hohensalzburg Castle. Maria offered no explanation, simply directed everyone to get into a cable car. Because of the early hour, there was no one else in line. The children's eyes lit up as the white fortress came into sight as the rail car slowly made its way up to the castle. Louisa in particular seemed very excited to be there, and the Captain remembered Fraulein Maria's words from the evening before: "Louisa chose to study Austrian history, concentrating primarily on the eleventh century" His eyes lit up when he realized the purpose of their visit here, and Maria nodded slightly when he turned to her with understanding in his eyes.

The trip up to the fortress was quick. After disembarking, the Baroness and Max both sat on the small bench outside of the castle, already tired from the walk and the early hour, with no interest in the history surrounding them. They were soon in a conversation about some friends in Vienna.

"Louisa, you are first in today's activities." Maria quietly addressed the blonde as the other children scampered around the palace grounds, exclaiming about the turrets and high walls. "Are you comfortable giving a brief history of this castle?"

The Captain smiled at Maria's tact, not putting Louisa on the spot and quizzing her on the history lessons.

Louisa's eyes were bright with excitement as she recognized parts of the building that she had only seen in her textbook. Though she had seen the fortress from a distance many times, she had never had the opportunity to be so close to such ancient history.

Maria quickly called the children over, as Louisa began a brief history of the palace:

"This is the Hohensalzburg Fortress. It was constructed in the early 11th century by the Archbishop Gebhard von Helfenstein, a powerful political figure who originally wanted to build a very basic castle with a wooden wall around it" Louisa laughed at the enormous building in front of her "obviously the plans changed, as this is now one of the largest medieval castles in all of Europe! Between the 11th and 12th century, there was something called the "investiture controversy". Basically the pope challenged the European monarchy over control of the appointment of the bishop. Anyways, the Archbishops of Salzburg was a faithful servant to the pope and gradually expanded this castle. It has only been under siege once in the 16th century where the townspeople were opposing the Archbishop of the time; however, this fortress remains unconquered."

The younger children looked completely lost at Louisa's description, but Georg was thoroughly impressed with her description of the palace's history. As the children scuttled inside the castle, he quickly pulled the daughter that most resembled his Agathe to the side.

"I am very impressed, Louie. I could not have described the history better myself."

With this, the highest compliment he could give his daughter, she wrapped her arms around him for the first time in years and buried her head into her shoulder to hide the tears that sprung to her eyes.

"I missed you father" whispered the girl who had struggled for years to keep her emotions hidden.

The children spent the next few minutes exploring the castle, while Louisa explained to Liesl and Friedrich about the medieval princes' apartment and the prison chambers. Maria finally managed to herd them all to the observation deck on the top of the palace, where they could watch the sun rising over Salzburg.

The sight of the reds, oranges, and golds reflecting off the Salzach River and onto the lightly coloured buildings instantly quieted the children, as they watched in silence as the sun rose over the mountainous peaks. Certain the seven were under the Captain's watchful eye, Maria wandered to the other side of the fortress to catch a glimpe of her mountain, when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. The warm chuckle in her ear informed her of the face accompanying these arms, and she allowed herself to momentarily relax into Max's warm embrace, surprised how comfortable she felt. He did not push her for anything more, and for that she was grateful.

All too soon Maria glanced at her watch and realized it was time for them to move on. The ride down the funicular railway was loud with excited chatter, and Maria silently thanked the Lord that there were no other passengers at this time of the morning, or they would have surely had headaches.

The next stop was the beautiful Mirabell Gardens where the children had already visited while the Captain was away. This time, however, they were not there to admire the flowers and sing Doe a Deer. Maria led the group towards the octagonal fountain, surrounded by four marble statues. She did not need to ask Brigitta if she felt comfortable explaining the stories behind the statues, her bouncing on the spot made it quite evident she knew that this was for her.

"These statues" Maria began "were created in 1730 by an Italian sculptor named Ottavio Mosto and symbolize the four elements—water, fire, earth, and air. I am sure Brigitta would be overjoyed to share these stories with you."

The Captain, Max, and Maria were all biting their inner cheeks to prevent their laughter. The Baroness had found an outdoor coffee stand, and her mood was drastically improving with eat sip.

Brigitta's excitement was barely containable as she recognized the four of her favourite mythology stories in the statues she had passed countless times but never bothered to examine. She first pointed to a statue of a young soldier carrying a naked woman on his back.

"This statue depicts the element of water. It is the story told in The Iliad of the "abduction" of Helen of Sparta by Paris of Troy. Mythology tells us that three goddesses were having an argument over who was the most beautiful and Zeus appointed Paris to make the decision. The goddesss Hera promised Paris ownership of all of Europe and Asia, Athena offered battle skills and wisdom, and Aphrodite offered him the love of the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta. Paris chose Aphrodite to have Helen, who was already married to King Menelaus. There is some disaccord, but I like to believe that Helen fell in love with Paris the night he snuck into her bedroom to abduct her, and went with him willingly, and they left for Troy, across a wide sea. She is said to have the face that launched a thousand ships, because when her father heard of her departure, he sent the entire force of Greece towards Troy, beginning the Trojan War."

Brigitta paused for a breath, her face red from excitement as she pointed to a second statue, this one of a young soldier carrying off an elderly man.

"This status is of Aeneas, and depicts the end of the Trojan War. The Greeks snuck into the walls of Troy inside a large horse they had built, that the Trojans thought was a peace offering gift. The Greeks then set the palace on fire. Aeneas was a Trojan hero, and Paris' cousin…third cousin I think and the son of Aphrodite. Throughout The Iliad he is under the care of the gods and goddesses. When Troy fell, he carried his father on his back out of the burning city, so this statue represents fire like fraulein Maria said, and he travelled to Italy where he is believed to be the founder of Rome…which I'd love to visit" she added as a side bar with a pointed look to her father.

The Captain returned the exact look back to her, and she laughed before continuing.

'The other two statues do not have anything to do with the Battle of Troy. The statue over there of two men fighting, that with a man holding another off the ground depicts Hercules' victory over Antaeus. Antaeus was a half-giant who would challenge all who passed to a wrestling match then collect their skulls to build a temple to his father Poseidon. Scary, I know. He was strong as long as his feet were on the ground, gaining force from his mother, Gaia. Think of her as Mother Earth. Hercules, who was trying to prove to his father Zeus that he was a hero, decided to battle Antaeus, but soon realized that whenever Antaeus was thrown to the ground, he would get all of his strength back. He was a smart guy, Hercules, and ultimately defeated the giant by picking him up and crushing him in a sort of very tight hug so he couldn't touch the ground. Thus this statue symbolizes air, for in the air Antaneus was powerless."

If Maria had been worried the children would grow bored with Brigitta's explanations she would have been terribly wrong. Even little Gretl was utterly in raptures with Brigitta's vivid description of the grusome events of thousands of years passed.

"And the last statue is the story of the abduction and rape Persephone by Hades. The myth begins when Aphrodite sent her son Cupid to hit Hades with an arrow to make him fall in love. He then abducted Persephone to force her to remain with him in the underworld, his land. When her mother, Demetri goddess of agriculture, could no longer find her daughter, she forced the fruits and vegetables of the land to stop growing. Zeus, Persephone's father, sent Apollo, the messenger god, to find Persephone, and Hades agreed to let her go but only after she had eaten the seeds of a pomegranate. Anyone who ate the food of the Underworld was not permitted to return to the world of the living indefinitely, so Persephone was forced to return to him for six months a year. During the times when Persephone was away nothing would bloom, and upon her return the flower and fruits would again grow. This is why we have the seasons."

Maria was amazed by the capacity of the young girl's memory to recall all the names of the Greek figureheads and the interwoven stories. The children stood in silence for a beat, before they rushed towards Brigitta to ask her questions about the four stories she had just told.

"She is an amazing girl, with so much potential" the Captain's quiet voice made Maria jump before she turned to face him.

"They all are" she agreed, as the two watched over the seven children, eyes full of pride. As the children gradually dispersed into the gardens to explore the other statues, the Captain pulled Brigitta aside.

"Brigitta, that was incredible – your memory is remarkable my darling. You tell stories exactly like your mother used to tell you." He tried to tell her, but she was already in his arms laughing with glee, as the adrenaline continued to rush through her veins.

"I'm so happy that you are here today Father. Thank you for joining us" she laughed into his chest.

A pang of sadness shot through Georg's heart at Brigitta's words, his mind zeroing in on the "today", but he refused to feel anything but joy today, the first day back with his family. It was almost as if he were back from the dead.

"Come along children!" Maria's joyful voice called the seven youngsters back to her side. "Our next visit isn't aimed at anybody's particular lessons, it is just somewhere I believe you all must visit as soon as possible."

Like goslings the children followed behind their governess as she led them down the streets of Salzburg. The Captain, Max, and Elsa followed closely behind.

The Captain chuckled at the image of the young woman speaking animatedly at the children, pointing out a street where all the signs were made entirely of metal, and he wondered briefly at the giggles a fruit vendor stand brought to his children who all immediately mimicked juggling.

"She is quite the woman" Max's words annoyed the Captain, who quickly corrected him.

"She is amazing. I will never be able to repay her for what she has done."

The Captain did not notice Elsa's brow furrow, as her eyes darted over to Max, giving him a pointed glance.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I hope you are all enjoying the story. This is part 2/3 of the 'field trip' set of chapters. Enjoy!**

Chapter Eight

As Maria stood in front of the tall yellow building, she suddenly felt like she could bounce with excitement, much like Brigitta had been when she saw her passion in three dimensions in front of her. She knew in her heart that this pit-stop was entirely for herself, but when she had been planning this trip she couldn't help but stop here along the way, even if they could only stay a half hour or so. She had dreamed of going inside for many years, but never had the opportunity until now.

The white cursive writing on the wall read "Mozarts Geburtshaus", Mozart's birthplace.

"Welcome" she addressed the children, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating "to the home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most talented composers of all time." It was clearly the music history lesson of the day, a subject the children had grown to love over the past couple weeks solely because of how animated their governess became when talking about the lives of these composers.

"Mozart was born here in Salzburg in the mid-18th century. By the age of five he could already play both piano and violin, was creating his own music, and performing for royalty. By 17 he was composing abundantly and soon after moved to Vienna. Over his lifetime he composed over 600 pieces in a myriad of genres including symphony, opera, concerto, chamber music, and sonatas. Do you remember the puppet show that we went to see last week? The Magic Flute?"

The children nodded emphatically – the Captain wondered how she had managed to convince the younger ones to sit still for so long and the older ones to sit through a puppet show.

"That is one of Mozart's most well-known pieces. The quality of his work is…breathtaking."

Unable to fully explain to the children the passion she felt towards this man's work, she silently ushered them into the foyer, where to her delight _Elvira Madigan_ was playing throughout the house.

The Captain couldn't keep his eyes off the face of the governess as she spoke of Mozart with more passion that he had ever experienced. Her eyes were frantically trying to take in everything around her while she maintained an ongoing stream of information about a talented genius to seven engaged children, an evidently bored music critique and a socialite. Sensing her desire to explore, the Captain quietly whispered in her ear

"Go. Elsa, Max and I will watch the children. We will meet you in an hour in the front foyer."

Maria turned to the Captain with such gratitude written on her face he literally had to take a step backwards.

"We only have a half hour to spend here. Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

She rushed up the stairs before he could respond, eager not to waste a moment of time in her personal paradise.

The half hour flew by faster than Maria could imagine it would. She had become so engrossed in studying Mozart's instruments that were on display that she completely lost track of time, and when the clock chimed, she realized that three quarters of an hour had passed and she was terribly late.

She rushed down the stairs, barely managing to keep upright as her mind moved faster than her feet possibly could. She tripped on the final stair, and fell directly into the arms of an unsuspecting Max.

Max felt the weight of the governess in her arms before he realized what was happening, but managed to stay upright. When he looked down he burst out laughing in the quiet house. Her hair was wild, her eyes startled and her cheeks red, but she had a glow of happiness about her that suddenly reminded him of the first time he had watched her sing.

He bent down and placed a chaste kiss to her lips, hoping she wouldn't pull away from him. To his delight, she didn't.

"You are late my dear" he whispered.

Maria laughed, unable to take him seriously while in such a wonderful mood, and extracted herself from his arms.

"I knew you'd wait" she teased back, her mood unable to be spoilt. "Where are the others?"

"They're listening to the maestro in the main room play something or other. Oh, and Elsa went to sit on the bench outside—something about not being able to handle the twanging violin"

Maria raised her eyebrow slightly as a comment came to her mind, but she quickly repressed it, not wanting to seem petty.

Side by side Max led her to the doorway of the grand salon, in the middle of which was a grand piano being played by a man in a tuxedo. The Captain was sitting on a couch, with Gretl and Marta each on one knee, Brigitta sitting on one side and Kurt on the other, with Louisa, Liesl, and Friedrich sitting at his feet. Completely surrounded by his children, Maria could barely believe this was the same jaded man she had met only a few weeks ago. In front of her sat a father, filled with love for his children, and an obvious passion for classical music, and his eyes never strayed from the hands of the pianist, as his own slowly twirled through Gretl's ringlets.

He seemed to sense her gaze and quietly ushered the children out into the midday sunshine when the piece ended, with Max running off to fetch Elsa.

"Late again, fraulein." he noted as the two walked from the home.

Maria immediately blushed and was unable to form a coherent sentence, but when she looked over at her employer, and noted his wide smile, she laughed slightly.

"Thank you so much Captain for indulging me. I have dreamt about visiting here since I was a young girl."

"Why didn't you ask your parents to bring you here?" the Captain asked in surprise.

"My parents died when I was very young, and my uncle wouldn't give me the money for such frivolities" Maria blatantly answered, somewhat amazed at her own response. It was a rare occasion when she told anyone about her childhood. The only person that knew her past was the Reverend Mother, and even her version had been edited.

The Captain was careful not to show his shock at the Fraulein's answer. With her constant joy and energy, he would have never guessed she had such a difficult childhood.

"I am very sorry. If there is every anything else that you would like to visit, please just let me know and I will make it happen." The Captain spoke quietly and quickly as the two reached the children.

Maria gave a short nod and mouthed "thank you" to the Captain. She could barely believe that this father and the naval Captain she had taken on face-to-face less than 24 hours before were the same man. She again questioned what had caused such a dramatic change in him.

By this time the sun was high in the sky, and the thermometer was approaching the high 20s. It was going to be a very warm day.

"I'm hungry" Kurt complained. "Can we go and eat now, Fraulein Maria?"

Maria smiled at the young boy.

"I suppose when we eat is entirely up to you, Kurt" she announced, pulling a large piece of paper from her bag, and handing it to him along with a compass. "This is a map of Salzburg and the surrounding areas. There is a large x placed over where we will be eating lunch. Do you think you can get us there? I'm sure your father would be more than willing to help if you ask him."

"I can do it myself!" Kurt announced proudly, studying the map with the utmost intensity. He looked around him for a street name, and then again his eyes went to the map until he triumphantly announced "here we are!".

"My word, at this pace this may become an evening lunch" the Baroness grumbled under her breath, and Max couldn't help but agree. It was hot, they were tired from all the walking already, and it didn't appear like they would be eating at a cool restaurant here in town.

Maria bit her tongue to suppress a nasty remark that threatened to emerge, and directed her attention back to Kurt as he slowly mapped out a path.

The Captain, however, was unable to ignore Elsa's remark.

"I believe they call that supper" he remarked with a raised eyebrow. "Elsa, why don't you and Max return to the villa and we will meet you back there tonight?" he suggested with an almost icy tone. The Baroness's obvious disdain for the day's activities had not been lost on him and Max looked like he was almost ready to keel over from exhaustion. He was not the outdoors type, and Georg had worried before they left that he might not be able to take the physically demanding day.

"Why don't you join us, Georg? Fraulein Maria is clearly well adept at handling these…children. Come back to the villa and we'll have a nice lemonade on the terrace."

She was suddenly standing very close to the Captain, running a finger up and down his arm.

The Captain did not even consider her request. "Thank you Elsa, but I promised my children I would spend the day with them, and to be honest I am anxious to see what else Fraulein Maria has up her sleeve"

He shot her a smile, and Maria who had been eavesdropping blushed and quickly busied herself with re-tying Gretl's hair bow.

"But Georg, you must be sweltering in that suit!" Elsa gave a pathetic last attempt to convince him to come back with her.

The Captain simply shrugged off his coat jacket, opened the top two buttons of his white dress shirt and smiled at the Baroness.

"You worry about me too much darling. Please enjoy your afternoon. Max, please step out of character and be a gentleman and get Elsa whatever she may need?" He asked, kissing the white-blonde on her cheek and patting his best friend on the shoulder, before turning his back on the two of them to re-engage with his children.

Angry red patches formed on Elsa's cheeks, as she huffed and left to find the nearest taxi to take her and Max back to the villa.

"Read the map's key, Kurt" Maria's voice could be heard as the two walked away. "And take your time. If you follow the key, eventually you'll always end up where you're supposed to be".


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So the last chapter was really short, and I am eager to hear what you think about the field trip, so I decided to post this chapter tonight as well! Any feedback is appreciated!**

Chapter Nine

The group moved through the streets in a large clump, often stopping and turning around before continuing. Their pace was slow within the confines of the city, as Kurt attempted to navigate the complicated streets and multitude of symbols on his map.

Once they were near the end of town, the Captain suddenly realized that their party was short one member. Maria had been at the back of the group, making sure that the little ones could keep up, yet when he turned around she was no longer there. He looked over his shoulder and noticed her standing several meters back staring at a gated area with a lost expression on her face.

"I believe it is time for a break." He told the children, who were more than happy to collapse on the benches by the sidewalk in the shade from the heat. The look in his eye informed his eldest daughter and son that they were in charge, as he made his way to the young woman.

"Is everything alright, fraulein?" he asked carefully, not wanted to scare her.

Maria looked flustered for a moment as she came out of her focused state.

"I apologize Captain." She gasped, though her apology lost some of its sincerity as her eyes drifted back to where they had previously been glued.

The Captain followed her gaze, and was extremely surprised to find she was staring at a cemetery.

"Something catch you interest? Are you going to have the children do a family tree as their next project perhaps?" he asked, not understanding her fascination with this modest plot of land.

"No, well maybe now that you mention it. I just used to come and think here when I was younger. It's been a very long time…hasn't changed much"

The Captain had his suspicions what he would find if he entered the cemetery and read headstones, but did not ask as could hear the children becoming restless, and Kurt had determined which direction they should continue.

"It appears very peaceful." He commented lightly, and sensing she was not ready to discuss what was on her mind, they returned to the group in silence.

Though the journey took longer than if Maria would have led the way, Kurt did a formidable job at guiding the group through the tangled streets of Salzburg, out of the city, through the woods, and into a clearing.

The children exclaimed as they took in their surroundings, and Kurt proudly announced, "this is it! The mountain ranges to the north, a forest down south - is this it, Fraulein Maria?"

"Perfect! I'm so proud of you, Kurt." Maria reassured him, musing his hair before she began to unpack the picnic lunch on a large blanket she had been carrying around in her pack all day.

The Captain, as was becoming the day's tradition, approached his son, whose eyes had suddenly grown wide.

"Kurt, that was the best navigation I have seen since my years in the Navy. We could have used a fine cartographer like you on my submarine during the Great War."

"Thank you, sir" Kurt responded, paused, and then more quietly "thank you Father".

The Captain quickly wrapped his arms around his youngest son a bear hug.

"Now I'm sure you must be hungry…" he started before he was interrupted by Kurt's response: "Starved!"

The two laughed and walked together over towards the remaining children, where the strangest scene came to their eyes. Friedrich was sitting in the middle of mountains of food with nine plates, holding a tape measure and measuring rectangular sandwiches, round pies, cylindrical thermoses of iced tea. A pad of paper was already covered with scribbles, as all the other children eagerly watched the blonde boy do his figures. Louisa was practically salivating.

"What's going on?" the Captain asked, completely at a loss why the children were not yet eating, and he had to admit, thoroughly impressed at their patience. If he were that age, he surely would have been complaining from his hunger by this point.

"Friedrich is dividing the food equally amongst the nine of us" Maria explained to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"And taking his own sweet time doing it" Louisa grumbled, earning herself a punch in the arm from her older brother.

The Captain momentarily closed his eyes, trying to remember what Friedrich's lessons had been. Fractions! Suddenly everything came into place. He smiled as he realized the challenge this Fraulein offered his boy, asking him to equally divide foods of multiple shapes.

In a surprisingly small amount of time, the children were all munching happily on their lunches in the shade of the forest they had recently trekked through. The food was delicious after such a long morning, and everyone was happy to finally be off their feet.

As the children were enjoying their pie, the Captain slowly approached Friedrich.

"Those were some fine mathematics, and completed so quickly!" the Captain began, completely uncertain how to approach the boy…almost a man…in front of him. The older children had been less forthcoming with the hugs and tears, and even conversation the night before, and rightfully so. Liesl and Friedrich had practically raised the younger children these past years.

"Thank you" was Friedrich's only reply. The two men stood in silence for a moment, neither certain what to say.

Finally Friedrich extended his hand, and the Captain noticed a slight tremor to it, as it broke the barrier between them. The Captain readily reached out and accepted it, surprised at the strong grasp.

"Friedrich I realize words will never be enough, but I must thank you and Liesl for looking after the little ones. You were a stronger man than I when you were only a boy, and you have become an intelligent and kind-hearted man. I am so proud of you, and so sorry for the pain I have caused." The apology felt entirely natural, and as a genuine smile graced the boy's face, the feeling of a small weight being lifted off his chest relieved him. Though he knew it would take time, he had faith that he would regain the love of his children and become a family once more.

The children were all finished, and began to complain bitterly of sore stomachs from eating too quickly and too much, especially Kurt who had finished off not only his meal, but the left-overs from Gretl's and Marta's.

Maria thought for a moment, did a quick re-arrangement of her plans, and called the children to her side.

"Alright children. To help our digestion, let's go for a quick walk through the woods. I believe that someone here has been studying the plants and animals of the Austrian Alps?" She paused for a moment, and had to laugh out loud at the pensive look that came to Marta's face before her arm shot up in the air and she exclaimed that it was her.

"Excellent. So with Marta as our tour guide, let's go on a nature hike!"

Marta took Maria's hand, and together they skipped through the grass and towards the woods, Marta shouting "Follow us!" over her shoulder.

The Captain could not believe his eyes, as he watched his normally shy daughter take command of the situation, and demand that her siblings follow her. He also couldn't help but notice that she had chosen her Fraulein to lead with instead of himself. It stung, to be quite honest, but he couldn't help but marvel at the way Fraulein Maria had integrated herself into their lives so seamlessly, neither the children nor himself could properly remember how they had managed before she had come into their lives. Poorly, he remembered with a small sigh as he collected the children that straggled behind.

"Hurry along then" he prompted Kurt, who was still munching on a piece of pie despite his previous complaints "before you sister and governess get lost in the woods and their prime cartographer is not around to guide them out!"

Kurt laughed, and followed his father into the woods, where the group was gathered around a bright orange flower.

"Orange lily" Marta declared after examining the funnel-shaped orange flower.

"While normally we should never pick wild flowers" Maria began, "we will need them for a project later on today, so could you pick us one orange lily, Marta?"

Proud to have the honour, the young brunette bent over and with the gentlest grasp, plucked it from the ground, never letting go of Maria's hand.

With Maria and Marta in the lead, the eleven entered into the shadowed woods, where the cool air was a relief to all of them. While walking, Marta accurately pointed out a small cluster of red flowers called rock jasmine, small blue flowers called alpine gentian, and the beautiful pink alpine rose. From each cluster the young girl picked a sample and carefully tucked it in her pocket before reclaiming her governess's hand.

The other children were soon engaged in conversation amongst each other, and with their father, pausing only to hear Marta's declaration of a plant's name before continuing on. The sight of the Captain surrounded by children, his clothing mused and dirty from their activities of the day, with little Gretl on his back as he trekked through the woods she knew so well was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and for the slightest moment Maria understood what it would have been like to have grown up in a family with parents who loved you unconditionally, who would do anything for you.

A deep soul-wretching depression threatened to emerge, one that she had so many times suppressed, but as always she forced herself to hum the lyrics to a now old familiar tune. Marta, the closest to her, began to sing, jolting Maria from the world she had entered. Soon all the children joined in to sing the first verse.

_Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens_

_Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens_

_Brown paper packages tied up with strings_

_These are a few of my favourite things._

"Fraulein Maria?" Brigitta asked from behind her.

"Yes Brigitta?" Maria turned to the most observant member of the family…besides the Captain of course.

"What's wrong?" Brigitta asked, her eyes worried.

"Nothing sweetheart." Maria smiled slightly at her.

"Then why were you singing about your favourite things? You said you sing about them whenever you're feeling unhappy. Are you unhappy, Fraulein Maria?" The worry was evident in Brigitta's tone, and the entire party, including the Captain, had stopped moving and ceased their discussions to hear her answer.

"I am just trying to find a place in the song to include nature walks with seven talkative children" Maria joked, causing the children all to laugh. The Captain remained silent—the look in Maria's eyes was unnaturally solemn for her, and he would have bet his submarine that there was something she was not discussing. Double or nothing it had to do with what she had begun to tell him earlier, about her parents.

Luckily for Maria, a screech from above diverted the children's attention as Marta cried out "A golden eagle! Fraulein Maria it's a golden eagle!"

The excitement, however, quickly died out, as the children were tired from their long morning. Gretl was asleep on the Captain's back, and Marta was yawning more than she was talking anymore. Maria quickly ushered the children back to their blanket, taking the shortcut through the woods. Despite her many years in the abbey, she understood the pathways through the trees much better than the narrow brick corridors.

The Captain quickly handed a sleeping Gretl to Maria, and hastened over to his second-youngest daughter to put her down for her nap.

"Marta sweetheart, you did a wonderful job on that walk. I never knew I had such a smarty-pants for a daughter!"

Marta giggled sleepily. "I love you daddy" she yawned, before falling asleep on his suit jacket he had laid out for her. Nothing else needed to be said between them – she had always yearned for a daddy, and had welcomed him back into her life the moment he had taken her in his arms.

Stepping away from his daughter, he noticed that Kurt, Brigitta, Louisa, and even Friedrich had all decided to take a midday siesta, and only Liesl and Maria were left sitting on the blanket chatting animatedly while creating piles of flowers.

"…harder to plan, Liesl. I'm afraid I could not be quite as creative with your activity as I was for the rest" Maria apologized, relieved to hear Liesl's laugh. "So here is my challenge for you. These are the flowers that Marta identified today. Using these flowers, and what you know about dominant and recessive traits, I would like you to create your imaginary wedding bouquet, using flowers that you would create by cross-pollinating these different species. Try to have four or five different hybrids in your bouquet….and just have fun with it." Maria smiled at the eldest von Trapp child, passing her a pen and pencil.

Liesl, much to Maria's relief, looked quite excited at this prospect and immediately began drawing boxes on the paper in front of her.

Maria had worried that Liesl, and even Friedrich, would not enjoy the day's activities, as planning for such a wide age-range was a truly challenging task, but she was so impressed by their maturity—humouring Marta on the nature walk by asking her all kinds of questions about the flowers, and helping her and Gretl to understand Louisa and Brigitta's stories. They would both one day make excellent parents.

Seeing that Liesl was deeply absorbed in her task, leaving Maria with nothing to do, the Captain slowly approached her.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked with a smile, gesturing to the spot on the blanket beside her.

"Oh! Of course not. Please." She invited him to sit. Normally a man sitting this close to her, even Max, would have triggered butterflies and generalized unease, but here on her mountain, surrounded by children she loved more than she had ever loved anything, with the warm sun on her hand and the kind smile on the Captain's face, she felt perfectly in her element.

"For you" said the Captain, and only then did Maria realize he was holding a bouquet of small white flowers towards her. He had seen them growing while on their "nature hike", but instead of pointing them out to Marta, decided that a small gift was in order.

"Edelweiss" she gasped, momentarily forgetting how to breathe as she looked up at the Captain.

"After everything you have done not only for today's 'field-trip', but for my children for the past week, you deserve so much more than wildflowers, but it is a start." The Captain answered her un-asked question simply.

"They're wonderful…perfect. Thank you."

Maria laid the flowers out on the blanket in front of her, and mindlessly began to weave their stems together, fashioning a crown.

"I must say, fraulein, I am very impressed. Not only have my children obviously learned much more from your summer-school than they would in weeks of regular lessons, but they actually seem to be enjoying it."

"It was entirely them, Captain. They are all so bright and eager – teaching them has been a joy."

"I believe the joy is entirely theirs today – the planning for this 'field trip' must have taken you weeks!"

Maria laughed. "Not really. I'm just hoping that by them seeing the relevance of their lessons, they'll continue to be as well behaved in their lessons as they have been for the past few weeks!"

"I never thought I'd hear the day when a governess would call these seven 'well behaved'" the Captain smiled good naturedly.

"Compared to when I was young, they're angels" Maria responded, more to herself then to the Captain, as she remembered the short period of time after her parents' death.

"I may be overstepping my bounds, and please feel free to correct me if I am," the Captain began carefully, "but earlier you mentioned you were not raised by your parents?" That evening he wouldn't be able to say what brought him to ask such a personal question, but in the moment it felt right.

Maria's head whipped around so quickly the Captain was sure she would have a stiff and sore neck the following day.

The two were silent for a moment, and the Captain felt a little like her eyes were searching him for something, and he worried he may have spoken out of turn. Whatever it was, he must have passed, because her eyes returned to the flowers, but she began to speak.

"My parents died when I was young – I am so fortunate so still have some memories of them. Nothing monumental, but little things – being read to before bed every night, learning how to play the guitar from my mother, learning to dance with my father. Even still I'll sometimes see something, or someone will say something, and a new memory will comes back. After I moved in with my uncle, he forbade any of the fine arts, but that wouldn't stop me. I remember finding a long board along the railroad tracks, and I tied some strings on it to make a guitar that I could practice my chords on without actually making any sound. At night when my uncle was asleep I would turn the board over and it would become my dance partner. I named him Holz."

The Captain laughed, imagining a young Maria dancing around with a piece of lumbar.

"At least he wouldn't stomp on your feet" he grinned at her, and she returned the smile.

"I've been considering giving the children dance lessons, but perhaps I'll forgo the lumbar. Their musical gifts are extraordinary for their ages. Do you play any instruments?" Maria asked the Captain. She had been wondering where the children had gotten their talent from, but did not know how to ask them if their mother or father was the gifted one.

"My father died when I was young, and my mother always pushed me to follow in his footsteps and join the navy. She was a very smart woman, and recognized the link between music and mathematical abilities, so I started playing piano when I was four. I hated every minute of it. My teacher was an elderly gentleman who didn't seem to be able to hear anything except wrong notes, he smelled like mothballs, and made me play the most atrocious pieces. By the time I was ten I was able to sight read on command, but refused to come near the instrument. It wasn't until years later, actually during the Great War when I was in training overseas that I rediscovered the piano. I fell in love with classical music, and have been playing ever since. Everything except scales and triads that is."

Without shifting his eyes away, the Captain gently took the edelweiss crown from Maria's hands, that she had been clutching tightly enough to squish some of the petals, and gently placed it in her hair, with a slight smile. Both realized what needed to be said had been said, and that time would be the best healer of the now-opened wounds.

They were still sitting in silence, staring out at the Alps when a frazzled Liesl came to sit with them, a notepad of paper filled with scribbles.

"It took forever, Fraulein Maria, but here are my results!" and she proceeded to explain the hybrids that she had "created" from the wildflowers to create a bouquet of red and orange flowers of different petal and leaf-shapes. The work she had done was incredibly detailed, as she described every detail down the anticipated scents.

When she finished Maria, sensing the Captain would want to speak to Liesl alone like he had with all the other children, quietly mumbled something about going to wake the others, and slipped away.

The Captain stared at the detailed scientific work in front of him in slight disbelief for a moment, before turning to his eldest daughter.

"My Liesl" he started, entirely unsure how to begin. "Do you remember that winter when you turned eight and you and I took a road trip to Innsbruck to see a performance of Swan Lake by the Moscow Ballet Company?"

He wasn't sure where that memory came from, but it seemed like an ice breaker.

"Of course!" Liesl laughed. "All I wanted for my birthday was to see the performance, and then on the day of the party you and mother gave me a doll, whose arm came that evening. I was so upset, and complained the entire way to Innsbruck where you said the toy repairman's shop was. I didn't realize we were going to the ballet until we got to the doors of the theater!"

"And after the performance you wouldn't stop spinning around for months. Your mother and I were worried that you would become violently ill" the Captain chuckled as well, before turning solemn. "I will never forgive myself for not seeing you grow up into the beautiful, intelligent woman I see sitting before me. To see you planning your wedding bouquet, I realize how much of your life I've missed and for that I will never forgive myself. I am so proud of you—for your accomplishments, for your strength and resilience, and for everything you have done for your siblings."

"I am so happy to have you back" Liesl simply answered as she allowed herself to fall into her father's arms for the first time in over half a decade.

The other children, who had been roused by their Fraulein, started to gather around the Captain, almost every single one complaining of hunger pains.

With a laugh, Maria handed chocolate chip cookies from her bag, which the children immediately began munching as though they had not eaten in three days.

The Captain could not believe the amount of food his children could consume, especially Kurt. He finally understood Maria's comment about him missing dessert! He glanced over at the woman who had become so much like a mother figure to his children, and noticed she held little Gretl in her lap, who was playing with chocolate chips on the blanket in front of her. He waited for a moment to see what Fraulein Maria would say about playing with your food, but to his dismay it appeared as if she was promoting the activity, laughing along with his youngest daughter.

"And what are you two doing?" he asked in a voice that he reserved specifically for his youngest children.

Gretl's toothy grin at his approach was all the incentive he needed to kneel down beside the two.

"Counting chocolate chips!" Gretl announced, radiating pride.

"Let's show your father how you can count." Maria laughed at the young girl's enthusiasm. "How many chocolate chips are on the blanket?"

Gretl slowly counted them. "Twelve! There are twelve of them!"

"Excellent darling!" Maria praised her. "Now what about if I add another two chocolate chips from this cookie?" she quickly crumbled away the cookie to dissect out another two chips.

After another quick count, Gretl whispered "Now there are fourteen chocolate chips! Don't tell Kurt or he will eat all of them!"

The two adults had quite the chuckle at her comment.

"What about if daddy eats five of them?" Maria asked, giving the Captain a prompting look. He did not further incentive to pop five of the chocolate chips in his mouth.

"Nine!" Gretl's answer came quickly, and Maria enveloped her in a hug.

"Wonderful! Soon you will be doing fractions with Friedrich!" she exclaimed, much to the young girl's delight.

The Captain had always known how to approach his youngest daughter. As soon as she extricated herself from Maria, his grabbed her in his biggest bear hug, spinning her around as fast as he could, and covered her little face with kisses.

Her shrieking laughter was enough to let him know that she had forgiven him.

Maria watched fondly. The more she observed this man in his 'natural habitat' the more she admired him. She had no idea what had prompted the change, but it was unquestionable that it had been for the better.

"Alright children!" Maria exclaimed suddenly. "First, I must congratulate every single one of you. You did a wonderful job at your lessons, and your father and I are both very proud. Now I believe we have one last class of the day? The best for last?" Maria laughed

The Captain was surprised to see the children join her in laughter as they immediately stood and rushed to stand together in a perfectly arranged cluster. He couldn't help but admire their discipline, and with no whistle!—if he could have got the men on his sub to move as quickly and efficiently as his children had just demonstrated, there would have been a lot less wasted time.

Thanks to Maria's perfect pitch, she was able to find the notes she was looking for.

"Tenor…" she sang on an F and Kurt and Friedrich hummed the note. They continued to hold the F as she continued.

"…Soprano…" she continued on B-flat. Liesl and Brigitta matched their pitch to hers.

"…Alto…" was on an F as well and Louisa, Brigitta and Gretl joined the humming chord.

None of the children had voices deep enough to sing bass yet. Friedrich had potential, and Maria was certain in a year's time the family's cumulative range would be quite extensive.

After a moment of humming their notes, Maria cut them off with a sharp hand movement. At the next movement, they all began to sing:

_The water is wide, I cannot cross o'er_

_Neither have I wings to fly_

_Give me a boat that can carry two_

_And both shall row, my love and I_

_A ship there is, she sails the sea_

_She's loaded deep as deep can be_

_But not so deep as the love I'm in_

_I know not if I sink or swim_

_I leaned my back against an oak_

_Thinking it was a trusty tree_

_But first it bent and then it broke_

_So did my love prove false to me_

_I reached my finger into some soft bush_

_Thinking the fairest flower to find_

_I pricked my finger to the bone_

_And left the fairest flower behind_

_Oh love be handsome and love be kind_

_Gay as a jewel when first it is new_

_But love grows old and waxes cold_

_And fades away like the morning dew_

_Must I go bound while you go free_

_Must I love a man who doesn't love me_

_Must I be born with so little art_

_As to love a man who'll break my heart_

_When cockle shells turn silver bells_

_Then will my love come back to me_

_When roses bloom in winter's gloom_

_Then will my love return to me _

As the children sang the English folksong in its native language, the Captain realized this was Maria's final lesson for the day—not only one in music, but in the language itself.

As the innocent and pure voices of his children swirled around him, the most calming sense of peace filled his mind and his heart. He did not know if it was from the painful yet necessary talk with Maria earlier, the reunion with this children, the love radiating from his family, or listening the song Agathe used to sing the children to sleep with every night for the first time since her death, but suddenly everything in the world no longer seemed as painful, the challenges less impossible, and his hope for the future renewed.

As Maria listened to the music she could not keep her eyes from moving by their own accord towards the Captain. It had been, by all definitions of the word, the perfect day and she knew that a great deal of that was because he had been on the field-trip with them.

She did not once realize that she had not thought about Max since he had left with the Baroness at noon.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I am so touched by the reviews for the last couple of chapters - thank you all so much! This isn't a true full chapter; more of an interlude really. I hope you enjoy the interaction between two characters we haven't seen together too much!**

Chapter Ten

_MEANWHILE AT THE VILLA:_

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Have you made up Georg's mind yet? Do I hear wedding bells?"

"Pealing madly"

"Marvelous"

"But not necessarily for me."

"What kind of talk is that!"

"That's none of your business. I am terribly fond of Georg and I will not have you toying with us."

"But I'm a child, I like toys! So tell me everything. Come on, tell Max every teensy weensy, intimate, disgusting detail!"

"Let's just say I have a feeling I may be here on approval."

"I approve of that! How can you miss?"

"Far too easily, I'm afraid."

"If I know you darling, and I do, you will find a way."

Elsa sighed, as she and Max sat in the shade on the terrace of the villa, sipping pink lemonade that was continually being refilled by an increasingly aggravated Frau Schmidt.

Ever since returning to the villa the day before she had noticed a distinct change in Georg, particularly after his reunion with the children. It was like he hadn't seen them in years the way he stuck by their sides, listened with rapt attention to their stories, and then today, choosing to spend the day with them instead of with her, his guest!

"Oh Max, I am in a terrible bind. The Georg I knew in Vienna was so easy to be with. He so seemed to enjoy the parties, the productions…there was never any nonsense about picnics on the mountains or twenty-minute walks into town."

Max nodded thoughtfully. He too had noticed a distinct change in his best friend this visit, and he was certain it had to do with Maria's presence. He himself was a testament to the influence she could have over somebody. Before her arrival Georg had always been aloof with the children, brushing them to the side while he would sit for hours alone in his study reading or writing letters.

"You are not wrong my dear" he noted. "He is slowly changing back into the Georg that existed while with Agathe. But darling, I'm not entirely convinced that this is bad thing. He seems so much happier."

"I do not protest to his happiness Max, if only he would direct some of it at me!" Elsa exclaimed dramatically, her face in her hands. "Didn't you see the way he was looking at that governess of his at the Mozart home? Really, all morning long. It is quite obvious he is enamored by her."

"Her name is Maria" Max's subconscious corrected her before he could censor his worlds.

A sly look crossed Elsa's face, but by the time Max could process it, it had been wiped away.

"I had forgotten you have a history with this young woman." she responded carefully. Max could tell he was being led somewhere, but chose to go along with this line of questioning.

"Enlighten me, Max. What exactly is the nature of your relationship with her?" Elsa continued.

Max paused for a moment, not certain how much of the agreement he and Maria had made should be revealed to the lioness on the prowl. Not that she would ever believe Max Detweiller not only agreed to taking a relationship slow while 'getting to know each other', let alone suggest it himself. By the pièce de résistance would be when he told her he had asked Maria to be his girlfriend, like a boy in the schoolyard. No, some things were better left unsaid.

"That is an excellent question" he murmured, taking the political non-response response.

"Well are you friends? Lovers? " she pressed, clearly annoyed. "Are you going to marry the little nun?"

"Amusing, Elsa. We're friends." he responded distractedly, wondering what the true answer to the question was. True she had agreed to a label, but only within a designated timeframe. What were his intentions with Maria? He had no basis of reference, having not been in a 'true' relationship in many years. Only one in his lifetime. The many women he entertained could not fit under this umbrella – they were really more acquaintances.

He had purposefully kept himself from being close with Maria whenever Elsa had been around, and was both not surprised and extremely happy that she did not know about the feelings he harbored for the young blonde. Elsa was a strong believer in marriage to improve personal wealth or status, and would not understand his fascination with a governess of no standing or inheritance. He had been very clear in explaining his past with Maria to Elsa as being nothing more than a platonic working acquaintance turned to friendship.

"You should make your relationship official, at least in in Georg's mind" the conniving personality of Elsa starting to come through, as she put her plan in place. "Take Maria out, be with her, and enjoy each other's company. Quite frankly I do not care what you do with her, just keep her away from my Georg. He will soon come to his senses once her influence is diminished."

Max's thoughts began spinning faster and faster as Elsa asked him to spend more time with Maria. The thought of spending hours with Maria was by no means unpleasant. The Captain already knew they had a history together, and had seen the together in the drawing room the night before. He was sure that there would be no suspicions raised if he were to suddenly announce that the two of them were courting.

His mind flashed back to watching the sunrise with her that morning, or holding her in his arms in that composer's house at noon, and he slowly nodded his head. "I could do that" be muttered, loud enough for Elsa to hear. "But it will cost you."

Elsa raised her eyebrows at the man so much like her in so many ways. "I know the price. It's always the same with you."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm afraid this chapter is primarily exposition and character development. I will hopefully try to get a couple chapters up tomorrow. As always, so many thanks to everyone who has left me reviews.**

Chapter Eleven

Dinner that evening was a rambunctious affair, and Elsa had half a mind to ask Georg if the two of them could enjoy their meals out on the patio, but seeing him interacting with his children she was certain his answer would not be favourable to her plan.

The children mainly ignored the Baroness after they realized her response to every story they told her was "how charming" and chose instead to recount the stories of their day to their uncle Max.

Much to their disappointment, however, Max was not as receptive to their tales as he had been in the past. His mind was in overdrive, as he forged a plan to woo the beautiful Maria, fulfilling both Elsa's plan and his own agenda. Which held more importance depended on how he analyzed the stakes.

He knew that she liked him by her agreement to his plan, but was observant enough to tell that she was not by any definition head-over-heels in love with him. Though the precise plan Elsa had laid out of him did not require her true feelings to surpass "like", rather just the illusion of a deeper relationship, Max was eager to continue to develop their true relationship past the awkward stage they were stuck in – somewhere between acquaintance and courtship. They were skipping the 'friends' stage of their relationship, Max recognized as he realized he knew very little about her, but he wanted more than friendship and was not willing to wait it out.

He wasn't worried about the wooing part of the plan. He had charmed many women of much higher status in Vienna in the past, and was certain he would woo a great many more. He could never mention to Elsa how much he enjoyed this task she had sent before him—truth be told he had planned on asking Maria to dinner one upcoming evening, a sort of "first-date do-over", and if he could now be with her without dealing with Elsa then that would just be a bonus.

The line between what was his decision and what was Elsa's was beginning to blur slightly.

As the children scuttled out of the dining room with their fraulein towards the front room, Max quickly touched Georg on the shoulder and gestured he wanted to speak with him, silently raising his eyebrows at a curious Elsa and gesturing her out of the room.

"It is nice to see you back to your old self, my friend" Max began, clapping his hand down on Georg's shoulder. Despite everything Elsa said about the "new" Georg, Max couldn't help but be happy for his best friend.

"I must thank you, Max, for sticking by my side over all these years" the Captain looked his best friend squarely in the eye. This was the last apology he would have to make for the day, and he was determined to do it right. "After Agathe's funeral…well it is not enough to say that I was a wreck. I have been walking around as a shell of a man for too many years, yet you never abandoned me. You are a true friend."

Max felt a pang of guilt at the remembrance of Elsa's plans to manipulate the Captain's thoughts towards those of wedding bands and binding vows, but bit his tongue.

"The reason I wished to speak to you" Max began, eager to get to the point of this conversation, "was that I was wondering if you would consider giving Maria the day off tomorrow."

"Day off?" the Captain questioned. "What for?" He had a slight inkling as to why Max would be asking, but needed to hear the words before he could fully accept it.

"I was hoping to take Maria out for the day, just the two of us." Max leveled his gaze with the Captain, almost challenging him to question his motives.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Georg took the dare. "So you and Fraulein Maria are a couple now?" He was very blunt in his question, but it was something that he had been wondering about since he briefly mentioned it on the staircase to Maria. She had seemed so confused that he hadn't pressed her for details, but there had been a strange vibe between the two when he found them hugging in the salon before dinner the day before, yet then had barely spent any of the 'field trip' together.

"It's all very new" Max answered honestly, no longer feeling like he was playing along with Elsa's plan, but instead that they were two teenage boys talking about the prettiest girl in school. His own words rung true in his mind, as he realized again how much he wanted them to be true. The lengths he was willing to go for this woman shocked even him – never did he think he would be asking his friend's permission to go on a date.

"Well Max, I must applaud you. Fraulein Maria is by far the most intelligent and kind-hearted woman you have sought in years. Do be careful with her?" The Captain couldn't help but adding. He was surprised by Max's desire to make his relationship with Maria official, and was genuinely happy for his friend. Perhaps Maria's magic would heal Max's scars from the consequences of his past as well.

Max inclined his head at the Captain's request and internally rolled his eyes at Elsa's paranoia. This man was clearly not in raptures with Maria; he was simply looking after his children's governess's well-being. Yet if her paranoia meant that he could spend more time with Maria without her wrath, then so be it.

Without another word spoken, the two quietly entered the drawing room, where the children were individually reading, except for Marta and Gretl who had already fallen asleep on Maria's lap while she had been reading to them. All the fresh air and sunshine had worn the children out, and though it was still early in the evening, a lazy atmosphere filled the room, the momentarily brought the Captain back to the days when it was Agathe reading the children to sleep on warm summer evenings. The Captain also noted in passing how the more he allowed the memories of his late wife to emerge, the easier it was to deal with. He had always been so frightened of the pain memories would bring to him that he had hid them away inside of himself. Somehow this young woman who had entered his structured home like a tornado had was able to, even without words, coax these memories out of hiding, and instead of feelings of animosity towards the Fraulein, all he could sense was deep-rooted gratitude.

"Perhaps some of us should be getting to bed?" the Captain gently suggested, bending to pick up his two youngest daughters. When Maria made a move to help him, he quietly gestured for her to remain.

"I'll take them from here." He gave her the special smile, the one that reached up to his eyes and automatically brought a smile to her own face, and watched as he spoke softly to his youngest daughters with tender eyes as he carried them to their rooms.

The smile was still on her face as Max slowly approached her, having watched their interaction.

"You are very good for him" he murmured in a low voice so the other children would not hear him. "Would you mind accompanying me outside? Just for a moment?" The young ones are in bed, and I'm sure that Liesl can watch the others for no more than five minutes."

Maria had no reason to object to his reasoning, and quietly followed him out to the terrace, where the night air was a welcomed relief from the stuffiness indoors. She made a mental note to open her window before going to sleep that night.

"How was your day, Max?" she asked politely, finally realizing she had no idea what he had been doing all day. Her first full day of having a 'boyfriend' (she physically struggled not to role her eyes at the juvenile label) and she had spent barely any time with him.

"I have a lot of time to think" Max began, choosing the direct approach that was his fail-safe when it came to courting women "…and I realized that I haven't had the opportunity to dine with just you since that evening…" He didn't have to continue, they both knew while evening he was talking about.

"So I would like to ask you now, Maria, if you would like to spend tomorrow with me. Just us." There was not a trace of hesitation in Max's eyes- he was the type of man who knew what he wanted and how to get it.

Maria, however, was not as direct when it came to relationships, and hesitated for a moment.

"But the children…"

"I have spoken with Georg already and he agrees that you deserve a day off tomorrow. He will be spending the day with the children himself, leaving you free to come to town and enjoy a Max-filled day. I know I promised you complete control over our interactions, but please take a moment to consider my request?"

After another moment's thought, Maria slowly nodded her head, remembering his promise from the day before to teach her about relationships before she would have to make a decision that would determine the path her life was to take.

"That would be lovely, Max" she agreed solemnly, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in her skin. His confident demeanor suddenly made her worry about how many women she had asked out in this manner, but the thoughts quickly passed as she saw the joyful expression on his face.

"Well I believe a good long sleep is in order for you, after such a long day in the sun. Shall we meet in the front foyer at eleven o'clock?"

Maria didn't have the heart to tell Max that she enjoyed rising with the sun, and was well accustomed to spending long periods of time in the outdoors. Instead of correcting him, she simply nodded, content she would spend some time with the children before they left.

"That sounds perfect" she announced, crossing her fingers behind her back, before chastising herself on her childish behavior.

Max reached over and gently kissed her on the cheek, thrilled when she did not pull away.

"Then it is a date. Now I must get inside before this cold air aggravates my throat. I look forward to tomorrow, Maria."

"As to I".


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Whether it was because of the excitement of the day, her newfound friendship with the Captain, or her reassurance in the slowed pace of relationship development with Max, Maria slept soundly that night, and rose with the sun feeling refreshed and energized. It was even earlier than she usually woke, so she had some extra time before waking the children for the day. She treated herself to a long hot shower, then slipped into the first dress that she could find— plain and grey. Thankful for her short hair, she simply ran her fingers through to break up the knots, and she was ready to go for the day.

Within an hour all seven children were washed, dressed, and sitting around the table munching happily on their eggs and toast and discussing their plans for the day.

When the Captain walked into the dining room fifteen minutes later, the children seemed to take no notice; however, Maria was shocked to see him awake and casually dressed in a deep blue button-down shirt and charcoal pants. She had assumed that, like the Baroness and Max, he would be the type to party all night and sleep until noon.

"Good morning Captain. You are up early." Maria noted. Their conversation the day before had been a pivot point, changing their relationship from employer-employee to one of friendship and confidant.

"I should say the same. You have one day away from there urchins and you're still up at the crack of dawn" he chuckled good-naturedly the children looked at their governess curiously.

"Where are you going today Fraulein Maria?" asked Brigitta, her mouth still full of eggs.

"Swallow please, Brigitta" came Maria's automatic response, as she urged her brain to figure out what to tell the children. She didn't know how much they knew about her relationship with Max…to be completely honest she didn't know much about the relationship herself.

"Fraulein Maria and Uncle Max are going into town for the day." The Captain quickly intervened, sensing Maria's panic from across the dining room table." While he refused to lie to his children, they did not need to know every detail.

A knowing look suddenly graced Liesl's face. She had seen her governess' surprise at greeting her uncle two days ago and had noticed their disappearance while watching the sunrise the previous morning at the fortress and then again in the evening. None of the other children seemed at all concerned about this turn of events, so as they were filing out of the dining room to attend to their morning studies, as per routine, Liesl grabbed her governess's arm.

"Fraulein Maria, I was wondering if you could help me with something up in my room for a moment?" she asked, in a voice that was a little too sweet to be completely innocent.

Maria's eyes immediately asked the Captain if he knew Liesl's intention, but a brisk shrug suggested that he had no idea. She suspiciously agreed and followed the sixteen-year-old.

The Captain watched amused as the two ascended the stairs up to the bedrooms. Though he had no idea what Liesl wanted to talk to Fraulein Maria about, from the look on his daughter's face at breakfast she knew about the purpose of Max and Fraulein Maria's outing, and undoubtedly felt that being the eldest female in the house (besides of course Elsa and Frau Schmidt) it was her duty to do the "female bonding thing" that women were so apt to follow.

Indeed Liesl's motives were those precisely postulated by her father; however, her plans extended beyond conversation.

"What can I help you with, Liesl?" Maria had her arms crossed across her chest, and a hint of suspicion in her eye.

Liesl stammered for a moment—she hadn't planned this far ahead.

"It's more what I can help you with" she chose her words carefully.

"Excuse me?"

"Please don't be offended, but I would like to help you choose a different dress for the day."

"What's wrong with the dress that I'm wearing?"

Liesl paused for a moment, trying to find the most delicate way to phrase her next sentence.

"Nothing, but if you are going to be 'accompanying' uncle Max into town, it may not be the best choice". Maria noted the change in inflection of the young woman's voice at the word "accompanying" and her face turned scarlet. The truth of Liesl's statement stung a little, and she wanted to comment that her choice of attire had been suitable the day before, but kept her opinion to herself.

With a resigned sigh, she led Liesl to her room, and opened the wardrobe.

Minutes later Liesl emerged with a dress Maria had finished two day before—a simple A-line dress with a grey-blue bodice and white skirt and sleeves dotted with small flowers of the same colour.

"This one" Liesl announced. Maria knew deep down that this dress, one of her finer creation and a source of pride for her, would not even begin to compare to the dresses that Max's other acquaintances would wear, and suddenly felt ashamed that she did not have anything finer.

"It is beautiful, Fraulein" Liesl's words did little to comfort her, but she nevertheless slipped it on. Silently Liesl ran a brush through her governess's hair, bringing out its golden shine, then gestured to Maria not to move as she slipped out of the room. Less than a minute later she was back with the smallest purse from which she removed a tube of mascara, a compact of blush and a light-pink lipstick.

"This is strictly contraband" she informed Maria in an over-the-top whisper, causing the older woman to laugh out loud at the silliness. "Luckily you don't need makeup…just a little here… If father asks, we used charcoal from the fire place and raspberry jam from the fridge."

"You have this all figured out I see" Maria laughed.

"A girl's got to plan a ahead."

Five minutes later, as it doesn't take long when you only have a little product and a lot of natural beauty to work with, Maria emerged from her room feeling a little bit like she was wearing a costume, with a very proud Liesl in tow.

The two chatted happily as they made their way to the study, where the other children were already deep in their study, under the careful eye of their father.

Maria paused in the doorway, and subtly leaned on the frame of the door as she watched the fierce sea captain try to demonstrate the food chain to a very confused Marta, who looked a little like she wanted to cry at the image of her father the eagle swooping down to eat Brigitta-the-mouse (who was very peacefully reading her novel throughout this demonstration). As Liesl walked into the room the Captain immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to see the most beautiful woman in his doorway.

It took him a moment to recognize Maria, no longer hidden beneath baggy drab dresses or a dirt-streaked face as was customary. Her hair was straight and brushed, her bodice form-fitting, and the small touch of mascara bringing out the blue in her eyes.

He gave his eldest daughter a squeeze on the shoulder as he passed, bringing a smile to her face at his approval. He would not mention the makeup to her, although he was sure it was not customary for a postulant to be carrying around lipstick.

"I see you are all ready for your…outing" the Captain spoke quietly to Maria, whose face was turning a threatening shade of red, and began stammering. He gently held up a hand to stop her.

"You look lovely" he said truthfully, with a light tone to his voice.

"Thank you" Maria responded with a sheepish smile.

"I'm glad you stopped here before heading out…" the Captain began but Maria cut him off.

"Of course I had to see the children before I left!" she cut him off with a look of indignation.

The Captain just raised a single eyebrow and tried not to smile. He would have to speak quicker if he wanted to keep her attention for any time.

"I was _going_ to say" he smirked as she bit her lip "that I actually have something I believe now belongs to you."

"To me?" Maria asked, wondering which of her very few possessions she might have left lying around the house for him to find. In all honesty it could have been almost anything she was so forgetful at times.

Maria was surprised when she saw the Captain study her face for the briefest second and hesitate before reaching into his pocket. A sea captain never hesitated.

When his hand emerged, she could make out something shiny with a long chain within it. It wasn't until the object was placed in her hand that she recognized its identity.

His whistle.

"Captain?" she asked softly, her heart suddenly swelling and the room tilting ever so slightly as she recognized the significance of what he was giving her.

Maria held his gaze steady in his eyes, reading in them thoughts and confessions she could not yet put to words. She felt a warm hand surround hers, guiding her fingers to curl around the cool metal.

"It's yours." He responded in an equally quiet tone, sending a silent prayer she understood what he meant by the gift. Her shock seemed to indicate she did.

Maria felt faint as her hand rested in his, their eyes speaking in a language their minds could not yet understand. A language only the two of them were fluent in but neither yet able to translate.

"…and the wolf's teeth are best suited for bone crushing, so when they find a bunny that looks tasty…"

To say that Brigitta's colourful description of the food chain wrecked the moment may have been the understatement of the year.

Maria and the Captain's eyes both widened, then their gazes shifted to the young girl sporting a horrified expression on her face as Brigitta had tried to pick up where he father had left off, contrasting in great detail how eagles hold their prey with one talon and tears at it with their beaks compared to crushing by wolf's bite.

The Captain gave an exasperated sigh. "I don't know how you managed to teach them so much in so little time, and without permanently scarring any of them. I've been trying for only a half hour and already have managed to convinced Marta that the world is a terrible place filled with terrible creatures."

The tension was broken.

Maria's laughter was genuine and she allowed the Captain to guide her into the room and towards the girl who was starting to turn mildly green as Brigitta's explanation continued to expand.

The Captain was pleased to notice Maria slipping the whistle's chain around her neck and tucking it under the neckline of her dress before taking his second youngest daughter in her arms, wrinkling the beautiful fabric as she tossed the little brunette into the air until the horror-struck face was replaced with laughter.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews - it is always a joy to hear what you are thinking about the story! Without further ado, enjoy Maria and Max's date (Part 1 of 2). I will try to get part 2 up as soon as I can!**

_Chapter Thirteen_

If two weeks someone would have shown Georg what would become of his children's study time that morning, he would have dismissively called them a rude fool, but nevertheless, while the clock was striking eleven, the Captain, Maria, and all seven children were laying on the ground in a large heap, gasping for air between their bone-shaking laughter.

It had started when Liesl, who had switched from biology to physics, asking her father to clarify Newton's laws of motion and centripetal force. Deciding to start at the very beginning ("a very good place to start!" Brigitta had chimed in, making the children and Maria all laugh and the Captain develop a puzzled look, which naturally made them laugh harder), Maria tried to explain how "an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force", the first law.

As is always the situation with physics, a demonstration was in order, so Maria asked all the children to drop their books and to come to the center of the room, where they pushed away all the furniture to make a large clearing. Joining hands, the nine of them began to spin in a large circle, going faster and faster around until Gretl's feet were almost lifting off the ground.

"As we spin" Maria laughed "what forces are working on us?"

Liesl shrugged. She hated physics.

"Why aren't we floating in the air?" Maria asked, the group still spinning around.

"Gravity" Liesl answer, then with an exited tone "and gravity times our mass is the exact force pulling us towards earth – our weight."

"And why aren't we going through the floor?" Maria continued as the group began to spin faster.

"Because of the floor's force on us…the normal force?"

"Perfect! And that is Newton's law – there is a downward force and an upwards force! So what's left? As we spin, there is a centripetal force is towards the center of the circle. Can you feel it pulling you in?" Maria sped up the speed of their spinning even more until Liesl was nodding.

"Note also that our velocity is tangential to the path that we're circling, and our acceleration is towards the center as well. And that's the end of chapter 5!"

"Hey Liesl, I have a physics problem for you" Friedrich smirked, his cheeks slowly turning pink from exertion. "What would happen if I would just…STOP." And he planted his feet firmly into the floor.

The domino effect was immediate, as Friedrich's body continued to move forward, knocking into Maria who was so surprised she fell into the Captain on her other side, who did his best not to land on Louisa, succeeding instead to only knock her down…and so they all went.

Lying on the floor, the clock chiming eleven was almost inaudible behind all the peeling laughter, but suddenly Maria's subconscious came to light.

"I'm late!" she all but screeched, trying to extract herself from the Captain's arms, which he had flung around her waist to protect her from the fall, while extricating Friedrich's elbow from her fifth intercostal space.

"Late again, Fraulein" he chuckled as he gave up the last of his dignity and rolled onto his side so she could retrieve part of her skirt that had gotten caught under him. "What will we do with you?"

"At least it is not you that is waiting for me this time" she retorted with her now-familiar bright smile.

"Well don't make the poor man wait any longer—if Max is left unattended too long he tends to find the nearest refrigerator, and if that occurs you will never make it past the front step." The Captain joked.

"Thank you again, Captain. I don't know what Max's plans are, but I would assume we should be home for dinner?"

"Enjoy yourself"

With the ease of a mother, Maria quickly placed kisses on Gretl and Marta's foreheads, mused Kurt's hair, handed Brigitta her book that had fallen from the table, shot a warm smile at Friedrich and Louisa who were arguing about whose fault the fall had been, and lightly squeezed Liesl's shoulder with a secretive smile as she quickly walked out of the room.

True to his word, Max was waiting for her in the front hall, dressed in his customary grey suit.

He didn't seem to notice her tardiness, having been preoccupied speaking to Frau Schmidt about their dinner plans, and Maria did not bring it up.

"Oh Maria, excellent- are you ready to go? The car is waiting for us right outside." Max announced gaily, appreciating her new dress and make-up, though mildly confused about her hair, which looked like it had been spun around and squished.

Maria smiled at nodded at the carefree man, suddenly remembering that he did not walk anywhere if not necessary.

The car ride into town was uneventful yet full of conversation, and Max continued to tell Maria stories about how he had gotten into the music production industry. The story was not the most exciting tale Maria had ever heard, but she was genuinely interested in learning more about his past.

The car dropped them off northeast of the center of the city. Max was quick to take Maria's hand and lead her into _Pfefferschiff_, one of the most expensive restaurants in Salzburg. The solely indoor dining disappointed Maria momentarily, until she walked into the restaurant, saw the white-linen tablecloths and long white candlesticks, and realized that this was, and probably would be forever, the fanciest place that she ever would eat. It was already bustling with lunch customers, and she momentarily worried they would not get a spot to sit.

Her worries were soon appeased as they approached the counter.

"Welcome Herr Detweiller. Your usual table awaits. Right this way please.

As they walked to their table, Maria carefully leaned over and whispered in Max's ear: "Do all the maître d's know you by name in Salzburg, or did you phone ahead to impress me?"

Max laughed loudly, disrupting at least five dining couples, as he replied "I assure you my dear it is because of my passion for fine foods, aged wines, and large desserts. Though I do hope that I have other qualities besides my palate that might impress."

He sent her a quick wink letting her know he expected no answer as the two sat at a table-for-two by the window overlooking a large green tree outdoors.

Before Maria could adequately process her surroundings wine was poured and Max had ordered their meals. She hoped that it would be vegetarian this time, but had very little faith it would be.

"So tell me about working with Georg's seven little monsters" Max started once the waiter left their table. "Have you found any spiders in your bed recently? Toads in the shoes or some other creepy crawler in your pockets?"

"The Captain told you about the children's pranks?" Maria guessed.

"Heavens no, Georg is too proud to ever admit that something in his life is not in complete control, is not perfect. Louisa, however, is very proud of her exploits and will share any tidbits with her favourite uncle."

Maria was surprised at Max's evaluation of the Captain—as his best friend she had assumed they shared all the details of their lives. She made a mental note to reflect on this later.

"They caught me off guard a couple times when I started, but I've been lucky enough to avoid the glue on the toothbrush pranks since that first day."

"Now my dear, you really must tell me how you tamed those wild creatures. From the stories I have heard, there were treacherous to all the governesses Georg hired."

Maria couldn't have agreed more, after having heard Kurt and Louisa recount in vivid details the mud-filled chocolate pudding for dessert, the candle-wax bars of soap, and itching power in the bed-sheets.

"I was very lucky" she admitted. "By our second day together they had become very welcoming."

"What did you do to them that night?" Max asked, knowing full-well Georg's children well enough to suspect that they would never just welcome a strange woman into their house.

Maria smiled remembering her first night at the villa. Her hand automatically went to her neck, and the slight weight of the whistle made her smile.

"There was a thunderstorm, we had a pillow-fight, and I taught them a song."

The image of Maria in her nightclothes, with feathers flying around her was almost too much for Max, who audibly gulped and tried to concentrate his thoughts on anything else, earning him a strange look from his date. Max quickly decided it was time to bring out his test-and-true charm to get away from such banal topics towards more what he considered date-appropriate conversation.

"That must have been quite the beautiful sight to see" he murmured in his most seductive voice.

"The Captain didn't find it quite that lovely. He scolded all eight of us and sent us to bed. It was a good thing we had already eaten supper." Maria inwardly chucked, immune to his charm.

"If I knew you were there and hungry, I would sneak in through your window and we could eat filet mignon and drink wine from Beaujolais, with the moonlight streaming in on us through the windows" Max tried again.

"More likely by the light of the lightening that night. And you would have had to fight Liesl to get up the trellis first if you wanted to avoid the rain" Maria answered simply, completely oblivious to Max's efforts.

"I would fight the fiercest tiger to eat dinner with you, Maria" Max was at wit's end. By this point, women were usually putty in his hands.

Maria couldn't help it—really she tried, but before she could stop herself the laugh came out. She tried as hard as she could to muffle the sound, as tears filled her eyes and her sides ached, but despite her best efforts Max noticed her laughter at his ridiculous statement.

"What?" he asked, his anger evident.

"Oh I'm sorry Max, that just sounds like a line out of one of those terrible romance novels that Liesl keeps hidden under her mattress" Maria gasped between chuckles. "I would climb the highest mountain! Sail across the stormy sea!"

A hint of a smile came to Max's face, as he added:

"Journey through the densest rainforest, battling man-eating chimpanzees"

"Build a statue of pure gold in your honour"

"Skip dinner!"

"Either you are a terrible influence on Kurt, or he is on you" Maria noted. Max had no idea what she was talking about, but laughed in spite.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: As promised, part 2 of the date - Enjoy!**

**_Chapter 14_**

Their meals arrived—Max had ordered for both of them overflowing plates of spaghetti covered in a rich tomato sauce and overflowing with meatballs, with a slice of thick garlic bread on the side.

"The Captain has a real palate for Austrian food" Max explained between mouthfuls. "I can only consume so much schnitzel and bratwurst before I worry I may at any moment start yodeling.

Maria's stomach flipped at the sight of all the heavy food in front of her. She was immediately thankful that the meatballs would be easy to avoid, but very worried about how she would ever finish all the food.

Eating with Max, she had nothing to worry about. By the time she had finished just under half her meal and was starting to feel overfilled, Max had finished everything on his plate and was more than willing to accept her meal, noting how lucky he was that she had filled up before getting to the delicious meatballs.

Maria took a sip of the red wine the waiter had brought to their table, cringed slightly at the bitter taste, hoping the small amount of liquid in her stomach would prevent the meal from consolidating into a large ball. Her anxiety was gone after their light chatter and Maria found she was enjoying herself.

As Max relished the deliciousness of a favourite Italian dish, his mind would not stray from the governess sitting across from him. He knew that he should not be thinking about this young woman the way he was—with anything beyond attraction for her—for multiple reasons that he did not want to bring to mind at that moment, yet he could not help but be amazed by her. Never before had he met someone so resistant to his charms and so utterly clueless of societal expectations or the power and value of an inheritance.

He knew that their being together was almost an oxymoron: the entitled Casanova (or so the gossip said) of Vienna courting the Florence Nightingale of Nonneberg Abbey? His acquaintances would never approve. And yet her charm had, despite his internal protests, won his heart and occupied his thoughts.

The waiter cleared their dishes, and Maria declined any dessert much to the chagrin of a still-peckish Max.

"I had planned on taking you to a friend's luncheon here in town" Max broke the silence that his thoughts had created. "I had hoped that you meeting all my highly esteemed acquaintances here in Salzburg would impress you…" He was not sure why he was telling her this, but for some reason it felt like the right thing to do.

Maria remained silent. She wondered to herself why they had gone out to eat lunch if the plan had been to attend a luncheon, but she kept this observation to herself, wondering where this thought of his was going. She crossed her fingers under the table that he had changed his mind—the thought of spending the afternoon being judged by strangers of the Austrian elite did not seem all that appealing.

"…but now I'm wondering if there is a better plan. What would you like to do this afternoon?" Max finally asked. He was coming to accept that this was no ordinary woman that his normal antics would charm, and stripped of these he was at a loss how to act, the words to say, or what to do.

The question appeared simplistic, but Maria was suddenly unable to come up with an answer as she came to a strange realization.

This was the first time she had been given such a choice since her parents died.

For over two decades she had been doing exactly what others have been telling her: her uncle and her schoolteachers, then the Reverend Mother and Sister Berthe. Even at the villa she allowed the children to choose their activities. While it was true she didn't necessary always follow the directives of others, it felt strange for someone to be encouraging her opinion.

She had no desire to explain her history with Max, wrecking his constantly cheerful disposition with such sad thoughts.

An idea came to mind in a flash as a memory from so many years ago came to the surface of her consciousness. Though she was self-conscious of her decision, she was immediately set on it and she knew that nothing Max could say would persuade her to change her mind. She would go on her own if needed be.

"Are you finished? Can we go now?" the normally quick-paced voice of Maria was now nearing the speed of sound, and the waves of excitement coming from here were almost palpable.

"Are you going to tell me where it is we are off to in such a hurry my dear?"

"Nope!" Maria replied in a childlike manner, grabbing her date's hand and practically forcing him to his feet.

Any sense of being out of her element was gone.

Max threw down a 100 Schillinge, leaving Maria to marvel at how people could spend so much money on essentially a spaghetti lunch, and the two walked hand-in-hand out out the door of the restaurant.

Much to Maria's happiness Max had not instructed the driver to wait for them, allowing Maria (and forcing Max!) to walk to their next destination. Like the previous day, it was a beautifully warm summer day; however, the light breeze the rustled their hair was cooling, making the temperature more bearable.

As they walked they spoke about this and that, without really saying anything. The conversation was pleasant, and many laughs were had. Maria tried her best to focus entirely on their conversation to prevent her from becoming incredibly frustrated with the painfully slow speed they were walking.

After what seemed like an incredible long walk (in distance for Max and in time for Maria) they arrived outside the gates of their final destination.

"The zoo?" Max asked with incredulity. "All this excitement for looking at some shrieking monkeys admixed with sticky-handed children in this ungodly heat? We could have stayed at the villa!"

Maria's heart fell- this was a far worse reaction that she had anticipated.

"I'm sorry…you can leave…" she murmured, her voice filled with disappointment.

"Nonsense" Max responded, instantly regretting his outburst. When Maria had announced she had a plan, he had been hoping his singer would lead him to a movie at the cinema or perhaps a concert. "Some sunshine and exercise will be good for me."

"We could go to your luncheon instead" she volunteered, cringing at the thought. Perhaps she could bring the children to the zoo another day.

"I imagine it would be a zoo in there too" Max laughed. "Come now Maria, I'm determined to learn what is so exciting about a zoo, and you seem like the prime candidate to teach me."

"Thank you, Max" Maria smiled at him, recognizing the effort he made.

The crippling entrance fee that had prevented Maria's return to the zoo after her parents' death, the small sum of seven Schillinge, was paid for the both of them easily by Max, who did not even pause to consider the small expenditure.

Maria was yet again reminded how very different her life must have been from Max's. She grew up with the necessities, but no extra spending money. When she entered the abbey her meagre savings was automatically given to the orphanage in town without a second thought. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how very few similarities her and Max had—they had been brought together by music, which to Maria was divine; however, the more time they spent together the less convinced Maria was that his appreciation for song was in line with her own. And yet, despite all their differences, and the guilt she continued to feel whenever he spoke to her or looked at her with any raw emotion, the attraction was undeniable and she was genuinely having a good time with him.

"Shall we?" Max asked, handing his date a map of the zoo and offering his arm, both which she accepted graciously, her fast-paced walk nearly dragging him behind her.

"I can't imagine you enjoying seeing all these animals in captivity" Max noted as they walked by the wolf display.

"It used to upset me when I was young until my father explained to me how most of these animals were found injured in the wild. The zoo takes them in, heals them, and then uses them to learn more about the species so we can better protect and treat their kind."

Max just nodded, more entrapped in her excitement than in her words.

The remainder of the day passed quickly, and by the time she and Max had decided they had better return to the villa for dinner, her sides were aching from laughing so much. Franz picked up the two from the front gates of the zoo with an inquisitive look at Max, obviously surprised at their location, but to his credit he kept his opinions to himself.

The drive back was quiet, as Max held Maria's hand in the backseat, both reminiscing about the day.

Max's feet felt like he was walking on burning embers, his nose was sunburnt, his hands sticky from the ice cream cone they had shared that had melted all over the place, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The day had been unlike any he had ever experienced. His go-to date normally involved a meal followed swiftly by a play, a concert, or party. Essentially any activity that did not involve physical movement, the great outdoors or intimate conversation was acceptable. Somehow with Maria, he always seemed forced into all three, and was finding it increasingly charming.

He had watched in amusement she made faces at the monkeys in their pens, as she danced around outside the otters pen with the small furry creatures swimming around playfully inside their shelter, and as she fed the goats as though each kernel of corn was worth its weight in gold. There were moments when she appeared so young to him, and he found her innocence and genuine excitement for the most mundane events (the entire zoo experience for example) to be delightful.

Maria's heart hurt from the memories the zoo had brought back but the new memories eased the pain. Her mind raced with the "fun facts" the signs at the zoo had taught her about the various creatures, and Max's impression of the penguin's walk still made her smile. The day had been quite the experience. A couple times she had had to shield her face from her companion so he wouldn't see the pain that exhibits such as the monkey sanctuary where her father used to try to be able to get the monkeys to mimic him. Nevertheless, aside from the more emotionally draining instances, it had been her best experience with Max—she had soon forgotten she was on an official "date" and had allowed herself to just have fun. He was charming, witty, and constantly making jokes about the animals and the people around them in the zoo, and Maria had been sure the security guards would have to ask them both to leave for disturbing the animals they were laughing so loudly. There was no question that his best feature was his sense of humour.

Before opening the front door to the villa, Max enveloped the thin woman in his arms.

"I want to try something. Trust me" he coached, and placed a kiss on her lips. His tongue prodded her in an attempt to deepen it. Shyly Maria complied, allowing the tip of her tongue to graze the tip of his before she abruptly stepped backwards. Max tried not to let his frustration show at her restrain. Every step would be a struggle with her.

"Thank you, Max. I had a wonderful day today." Maria offered, half-apologetically.

Max instantly felt bad for his annoyance.

"As did I, darling. I hope we can plot another escape for your sometime soon!"

Maria leaned over and for the first time initiated their kiss, a chaste peck on the lips, and was relieved to see the genuine smile on his face.

Together they walked through the front door, expecting "the zoo part 2", only to their surprise the house was perfectly silent, until a bellowing "FRIEDRICH!" could be heard from the back of the house.

The two hurried through the hallways to get to the back door, and they hastened down the steps to the edge of the river where Maria had the strangest sense of déjà vu…only from the wrong point of view.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So no story is complete until you've heard both sides; here, therefore, is part 1 of Georg's day without Maria. There is no Maria/Captain or Maria/Max interaction, obviously, but I thought the relationship the Captain is building with his children, entirely because of Maria, is worth exploring. Part 2 is more fun. I wanted to include this Austrian folk tale because when I was in Europe this past summer an Austrian I met told it to me and I thought it was cute. I hope you enjoy!**

_Chapter Fifteen_

Georg's Day

After Maria's brisk departure from the study, the Captain turned to face seven pairs of eyes staring at him intently. He realized that this was the first time he was truly alone with them since the death of their mother.

Though the Captain could not have known, the children were thinking the same thing. Worries of what to say, how to act, and mostly concerns that their father would change back to the man he had been for the past five years as suddenly as he had returned occupied all seven minds.

An awkward minute passed, and the Captain made an instantaneous decision.

"What would you all like to do today? After seeing how far ahead you all are in your studies, I think a day off is well-deserved."

The children were silent, all looking pointedly at each other, hoping someone else would suggest an idea.

"Come now, someone must have an idea" the Captain prodded, hurt that the children were so hesitant with him. While on a rational level he knew that their interactions the day before would not be enough to instantly rebuild a close friendship, the hesitancy in the eyes of the seven people he loved the most in the world stung.

"Louisa? Or what about you Friedrich?" he chose two of his most outspoken children to ask.

"Couldn't we just read in the garden?"

Brigitta's response brought a sudden burst of noise as six voices piled on top of each other to at their displeasure at her idea.

The ice broken, ideas for their day off began to ricochet off each other, and the children were soon merrily arguing as only siblings can do.

The Captain kissed Brigitta on the forehead, with a quick-whispered thanks in her ear. Of all his children she was the most like him—perceptive and well-read. Someone who insisted on things being done a certain way, and willing to do whatever necessary to protect loved ones.

She wrapped an arm around her father's waist and the two watched the other six in silence, as words were not necessary to express the bond between them.

The Captain was impressed less than ten minutes later when the children had come to a consensus that suited everybody. He had been certain that debating would end up being the full day's activity.

The schedule for the day was actually quite simple: a game of kickball to work up an appetite for lunch (and pleasing Friedrich and Louisa), lunch (Kurt was already on his way out the door to arrange a time with Frau Schmidt while the Captain was being explained the itinerary), "story time" (the Captain wasn't sure what all this entailed, but Gretl and Marta seemed so excited with their idea that he didn't press the question, and Brigitta was always ready for a good book) then canoeing on the lake behind the house.

And much to the Captain's amazement, the day progressed exactly as the children had described.

One might think that playing kickball when the player's ages ranged from five to forty-two would be challenging for everyone involved; however, Gretl learned quickly from her older siblings and Georg was easily distracted, and the game remained very close to tied throughout the morning.

It was nearing noon when the Baroness emerged onto the patio overlooking the lawn where the game was in the heat of competitiveness. She was a cloud of pastel-orange in the harsh noon-day sun, and beckoned to the Captain.

He was up to kick next, and much to Elsa's dismay he signalled back that he would be a moment. Friedrich had malice in his eye as he pitched a mean curveball towards his father, which zoomed past Georg to Marta who was acting as the back-catcher for the other team.

"Again." The Captain stared at his eldest son straight in the eye, not allowing himself to be distracted by the gorgeous blonde watching them.

Friedrich straightened his arm behind him, then in a flash the red ball was rolling so fast it barely touched the ground. The Captain swung his leg back with as much force as possible, relishing the thought of the feeling of the ball as it connected with his foot. Instead, much to his dismay, he felt instead the sensation of his rear meeting the ground.

He groaned as he stood, trying his hardest to laugh along with his children at his clumsiness.

"Now you're asking for it," he grumbled, causing the children to laugh even louder. He could hear Elsa on the patio also sharing in his clumsiness, and was pleased to hear her happy. He had barely seen her since their arrival at his place, and he hoped she was having a good time in Salzburg.

Before he could redeem himself with the kick that he hoped would win the game for his team, Frau Schmidt came outside and announced it was time for lunch.

Before he could argue, Kurt and the young girls were already halfway up the stairs, hungry from the fresh air and exercise of the morning.

Elsa was waiting for him as he ascended the stairs, and he offered her his arm, which she gingerly took.

Elsa, for her part, could not process the changes she saw in the man walking beside her. The sophisticated, brooding bachelor that had attracted her attention back in Vienna was completely gone, and she found him replaced with a dirty, sweating man grinning like a child. It was endearing, she had to admit, but completely foreign to her. She was used to men like the "old Georg" …this, however, was completely new territory.

Before leaving her bedroom that morning, Elsa had been planning on asking Georg to dine with her, and her alone, for lunch. She had worn a new salmon dress for the occasion and everything. Watching him fall to the ground only to burst into laughter had warmed her heart, really how could it not, but had also immediately signalled that he was not going to leave his children dine alone. She respected him for his love of the seven urchins, but would not even try to understand it.

Much to her dismay, before her and Georg had even entered the house, the children were clamouring outside again, the haze of noise that always accompanied them louder than ever. Each child carried something different—plates, silverware, a blanket, and dishes and dishes of food were all coming out of the house. Elsa couldn't believe how many of them there were – it seemed like every time she saw the group together they seemed more and more in numbers.

The youngest girl (it stated with a G…) yelled at the top of her voice "We're having a picnic father!" as she followed her siblings towards the clearing where they had just been playing.

The Captained turned to her.

"It appears we will be dining al fresco today."

"So I see…" she allowed her voice to trail off, hoping it would convey her displeasure.

"I would be delighted if you would join us, Elsa." Georg's eyes were pleading, and she was helpless to say no. Really, her choices were either agree and risk grass stains or dine inside, alone, and create that much more distance between herself and wedding bells. She had enough money – she could buy a new dress.

"I suppose some sunshine could be nice" she consented, quickly coming up with a plan to minimize dress damage.

The Captain's face broke into a grin. He had not expected her to agree so easily. He wrapped his arm around her waist, kissed her temple, and guided her towards the picnic that was fully in progress already.

After helping her into a chair she had signalled Frau Schmidt to carry down from the terrace, the Captain quickly filled and passed a plate to Elsa before sitting down beside her on the blanket-covered grass. The conversations over the meal were difficult for him to follow—he immediately noticed that the children and Elsa had minimal contact, possibly because in her chair she was looming over them, and so he tried in vain to maintain a conversation with both parties, which just left him confused.

The plates were soon empty and the children were all lying on the blanket clutching their full stomachs.

"Father, would you tell us a story here instead of us going back inside?" Marta asked, her eyes already half-closed in the warm sun. The others were quick to agree with Marta's decision, and shifted around to comfortable positions.

The Captain had to think fast – it had been a long time since he had told a story, so this one would have to be good. A memory of recounting a tale to Liesl and Friedrich as babies, them balanced on the two Agathe's swollen stomach as she rested, reassured him in his abilities as he took a deep breath.

_"This is the story of how Hans won his wife. Once on a time Hans wandered into the world to find good men. He came into a great forest, and lay down weary under an oak-tree, and soon fell asleep. As he awoke, the sun appeared; he jumped up, made his breakfast out of his bread-bag, and then went deeper into the wood; but there was no end of it, and his heart was cast down._

_"The third night, as he went round the forest, he suddenly observed a light. Long was the way before he could reach it, but at last he came to his goal. Then he saw a small hut. Hans went in, but the owner was away; so he sat down on a moss-bank before the hut. Soon an old man appeared, and asked Hans what he wanted._

_"'Better men I am seeking,' he answered, 'better than those I knew.'_

_"'Better men you will hardly find, for they are all much alike; but if you will remain with me, you will find a good man,' said the dweller in the hut. He led Hans into his hut and set some bread and cheese before him. Hans regaled himself, and told the man of the hut the reason of his leaving home. Next day, after Hans had breakfasted, the hermit went away, first giving Hans a fishing-tackle, and showing him the way to a lake where he was to fish._

_"Joyously he set out, and soon had reached the place. It was a lake clear as a mirror, where he saw the most beautiful fishes. But he was sorry for such beautiful fishes, so he merely looked at them, and rejoiced that for once he had found an honest man._

_"As he sat thinking thus, he suddenly heard a voice saying, 'Let be, you will yet find good men, and it will go well with you, because you have taken none of us.'_

_"Looking up, he saw that the most beautiful fish swam away from him into the midst of the lake. Soon after Hans went home, and found the hermit getting ready a supper. Hans told him of his adventure. _

_"The old man listened attentively, and said, 'Dear Hans, what has happened to you today is very strange; go tomorrow again, and look to it that you learn more.'_

_"Next day Hans took his tackle, and again went to the lake; but this time no single fish was to be seen. As he was about to return, he saw a band of the fairest maidens, each of whom was clothed only in an apron. Shocked at the sight, he hastened to the old man's hut, and told him of it. At the same time he begged the old man for one of the maidens in marriage. The old man laughed at this desire, but advised Hans, if the maidens bathed again, to take the apron of the maiden who pleased him best. Hans followed the advice, and went next day to the lake. He had not long to wait before the maidens appeared, took off their aprons, and sprang into the water. He gently stole up to the apron which belonged to the maiden who pleased him best, seized it suddenly, and hastened away from there. But no sooner did the maidens catch sight of their disturber, than all sprang out of the water and hastened from the place._

_"But the maiden whose apron he had taken, was following him. When she reached him, she fell on her knees, and begged him urgently to give her back the apron, promising to go with him wherever he would. But Hans was not to be deceived; so taking the maiden by the arm, he led her into the hut of the hermit. The old man blessed their union, and told Hans that he was to burn the apron, for if she got hold of it, she would run away. Hans, however, wanted to keep the apron, and hid it in a chest._

_"Years passed by, and one day Hans' wife was going to wash clothes. Looking about, she found her apron. Quickly she took off her clothes, tied the apron around her, and hastened away. When Hans came home and did not see his wife, he sought everywhere, and could not find her. Then the thought came into his mind whether his wife had not found her apron and hastened away with it. Sadly he went to the chest, and convinced himself that the words of the old man had been actually fulfilled._

_"Next day Hans rose and was intent on seeking his wife everywhere. First he went to the hermit to bewail his sad fate, and to ask his counsel._

_"'I thought so,' said the hermit, when Hans had told him all. 'You ought to have followed my advice, but now I cannot help you. Still, I know of one means. Not far from me there lives a witch, and she is not on good terms with those who enchanted the maidens and hold them fast. Go to her, tell her your trouble, and beg her assistance.'_

_"Hans went to the witch, who was a hideous old hag. _

_"'Good,' said the witch, when she had silently listened to Hans, 'It is well that you have come to me, otherwise you would have fared ill; but now listen attentively to what I shall tell you. In three days there is a great race. All the princes of the neighbouring towns are invited. He who rides his horse up a ball-shaped crystal mountain will get the fairest maiden that the old witch holds bound. Your wife is the fairest. To save her," the old woman went on, "take the horse that stands before the door, ride to the course, and announce yourself there as a competitor, for only in that way will be admitted to the contest. If you win, and this I can certainly promise you, your task is not over, for you must find her out among a thousand similar maidens. But this task will be easy, if you follow my advice. Give close heed when you come into the hall of the maidens, and choose the one that a spider descends on from the roof of the chamber.'_

_"Heartily Hans thanked the witch for her advice, and at a swinging gallop he hastened to the course, full of hope of meeting his beloved spouse._

_"There the nobles of all kingdoms were already gathered. They waited impatiently for the opening of the course, where they hoped to make their fortune. One after the other tried to ride up the crystal mountain, but none succeeded. Hans' turn now came. He did not long hesitate, but trusting the witch's horse, bounded at full gallop towards the goal and reached it to the astonishment of alL So Hans, the best rider, was awarded the prize._

_"And now, out of a thousand maidens, he had to choose his bride; and they were all alike. He recalled the witch's words, and paused; but as soon as he saw that a spider let itself down from the roof of the room on the head of a maiden, he chose her and recognised in her his spouse. He led her to the hermit's place that they might live quietly with him._

_"But soon the witch repented of having given Hans her choicest beauty. So she sent a messenger to take her again. When the messenger came to the heath that Hans had to pass to get to the hermit's, his wife noticed him and said, "See, over there is a messenger from the witch; she would have us both, but she shall not succeed."_

_"With these words she muttered something, and suddenly instead of two persons a dove was seen, holding a straw in her beak. As the messenger came up to the spot where Hans and his wife had stood and saw nothing that excited his attention, he turned round._

_"The witch impatiently awaited the messenger. When at last she caught sight of him, she asked soon afterwards if he had the pair._

_"'No, I have not once seen them,' answered the messenger._

_"'Did you see nothing?' asked the witch._

_"'Nothing but a dove, with a straw in her beak.'_

_"'Ride again, and take all that you find.' _

_"And again the messenger set out._

_"Meanwhile Hans and his wife had got a good distance further, but in the middle of the heath they were overtaken by the messenger. This time also the woman knew of a spell which she had learned from the witch, and as she uttered it Hans was changed into horse-dung, and she herself into a crow. The messenger passed the crow, and, seeing nothing, rode back._

_"The enraged witch sent him forth a third time, and he came up with the pair by the lake, where the hermit was wont to fish. When the woman again saw the messenger, she used her third and last spell and changed Hans into a thistle, which stood in the middle of the lake, and herself into a goldfinch that settled on the thistle and began to pipe and sing lustily._

_"When the messenger saw and heard this, he was going to seize the finch, but he did not succeed, because the lake was too deep, and Hans was too far from the messenger._

_"The messenger rode away from there in order to fetch a boat and crew; but before they came up, Hans and his spouse were already safe, for they had gone into the territory of the witch who had given Hans the horse. When the messenger returned to the witch, he could not find her, for the spell on the maiden was broken, and the witch was gone. No one knew where. Hans went with his spouse to the hermit, and they thanked him from their hearts, and in his presence the wedding was solemnised anew._

_"The fishes of the lake were in fact men. They had been banished by the same witch, and were now released from the spell, they too. The maidens of the Crystal Mountain were the brides of the former fishes. And now, at Hans' wedding the other husbands celebrated their own renewed weddings too, and there was no end of rejoicing."_ (From Austrian Folktales – The Gold Scales)

The Captain returned his gaze to the eight pairs of eyes staring at him intently, and was pleased with their rapt attention.

"Isn't that a story that mother…" Liesl's voice trailed off as she recognized the mixed company.

"It was one of her favourite stories. You used to beg her to tell it every night, Liesl." His eldest daughter nodded in remembrance with a slight smile.

Elsa was silent, feeling more like an outsider than she ever had. Even when Georg's warm hands wrapped around hers she felt out of place, and was grateful when the children stood to take their dishes back into the villa, chatting merrily something about a boat-trip.

Soon only Elsa and Georg were left standing in the clearing.

"I apologize if that was uncomfortable." Georg took both her hands in his own.

"It was a beautifully recounted story that holds meaning for you and the children. You were right to have told it."

"Thank you, Elsa. Would you care to join us on a canoe trip around the lake? I can make sure you're in a boat that doesn't hold Louisa and Friedrich."

"If I may use your telephone, I would like to make some calls back to Vienna. I do not swim well, and there are certain matters that require my attention."

"Not a problem – have Frau Schmidt move an extension into the sitting room if you would like a comfortable place to talk. And Elsa? I do apologize for not spending more time with you since you've arrived. Things are suddenly…very different…and there are relationships that need to be mended immediately. Perhaps this evening we could spend some time together after the children are in bed? Just the two of us?"

"That would be lovely, Georg."

With his crooked half-smile, the Captain gently placed his hands on her waist and placed a small kiss onto her lips. He could hear the children coming back outside, so the two separated and without a look backwards Elsa returned to the house, feeling the burn on the Captain's eyes on her back the entire way.

Later that evening when he was describing their day to Fraulein Maria, the Captain would not be able to find words that adequately fit with the disaster that started as a normal canoe trip. Maria would laugh about the famous sea captain losing his ship to seven children, to which he would reply indignantly that on his submarines sinking is purposeful and without a worry of someone drowning.

There were three canoes and eight people, so the math was relatively simple. The Captain purposefully put Louisa and Friedrich in the same canoe, anticipating a water fight between them. He plopped little Gretl in the middle of his own canoe, remembering Fraulein Maria's warning a couple days ago that his youngest daughter could not swim very well yet, and signalled Brigitta to climb in the front, leaving Kurt, Liesl and Marta to crawl into the last canoe.

It was the perfect day for boating – the air was warm, and there was just a skiff of a breeze to keep them from getting overheated in the direct sunlight. With Friedrich and Louisa in the lead, the three boats took off away from the villa and down the Salzach River towards central Salzburg.

It was a short paddle into town despite the winding river, only about a half hour, but by the time they got there the children were hot and thirsty. Just outside of town George called to Friedrich to pull over, and they docked the canoes in the shade of a small clump of trees growing along the riverbank. Once all the children were safely out of the canoe and seated comfortably on the blanket they had brought, he placed Liesl in command, told Kurt and Friedrich this was a "man's mission" and the three of them took off on foot towards the main square of Salzburg, only about an eight-minutes' walk away.

In town the men loaded up their arms with ice cream and drinks, and ran back to the others as quickly as they could, with cream running down their arms and dirtying their feet. The Captain was in such a rush to get the melting treats back to his children that he did not notice the stares of many of his acquaintances roaming about town. They could scarcely believe their eyes at the sticky, sweating Captain too engrossed in conversation with what must be his two sons to acknowledge his surroundings. The whispers started even while he was still in earshot. Like the first pebble thrown into a pond, the ripples were starting to form and grow, as would the stories that evening at the dinner table. Yet, as any physicist knows, the largest disturbances are created when multiple waves interfere. It would be some time yet for the next pebble to fall.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I hope you enjoy part 2/2 of Georg's day with the children. It's a bit shorter but hopefully sweeter as well :)**

**As always, your comments always brighten my day, and so many thanks to everyone who has left me a message. **

_Chapter Sixteen_

Miraculously the Captain, Friedrich and Kurt managed to make it back to the canoe without incident, with the ice cream still in a semi-solid state. The children were careful with their sweet treat, and sticky fingers were a commonality between all.

Well attuned to their sister, Liesl and Friedrich were the first to notice the mischievous look that came to Louisa's face as she held the remains of her dripping cone, her fingers coated in the white sticky substance. Her eyes darted to her father, and then back to her fingertips.

The opportunity was too perfect. She was sitting right next to him, he was distracted in conversation with Marta, and the ice cream's consistency was exactly right. Louisa could see Liesl and Friedrich's warnings in their eyes, but she had never been one to do what either of them ordered.

Without another thought, she plunged her finger into her snack to get the most ice cream possible on her fingertip, and in one swift stroke, wiped the sticky cream in a line across her father's cheek.

Everyone instantly went silent. The Captain's initial shock wore off almost automatically, thanks to his navy training he was supposedly prepared for anything, and he purposefully used the back of his hand wipe his cheek as slowly and deliberately as possible.

"I believe it is time to go now" he spoke in his most severe voice, barely able to contain the laughter in his voice. He could not believe Louisa remembered the cream wars that the two of them used to have as she was growing up, it seemed a lifetime ago. Any time there was a cause for celebration accompanied by ice cream or frosting, the two would try to see who could "cream" the other one first, and in the best place. Hair and clothing was strictly off-limits and resulted in an immediate loss, but any other exposed skin was fair game. Maximal points for getting it on the nose. Agathe used to get so angry with the two of them, accusing them of ruining whatever the celebration was (usually a birthday with that many children in the house!) but the smirk on her face always let the two know her anger was only superficial.

The children, unaware of their father's mirth, quietly began to pack up their things. The Captain took a long drink from the bottle of iced water he had brought back with him, and quietly walked behind a red-faced Louisa. She was upset about her father's reaction, felt bad for ruining their day, and even more-so that her father did not remember their games- her fondest childhood memory. People often said that Louisa did not express her emotions well, but the Captain could always read her face and know what was wrong. He felt a little bit bad for his reaction, but it was necessary for his plan.

He reached over as gently as possible, suddenly grateful for Louisa's distaste of form-fitting dresses, pulled back the collar of her dress just enough to get a good aim, and allowed the contents of his waterbottle to pour down her back.

The shriek was earsplitting.

The children, immediately after realizing what had happened, burst into peals of laughter. The older ones were immediately reminded of the tricks Friedrich, Louisa, and the Captain used to play on each other, and how desperately the others tried to stay out of their way to prevent falling victim.

"Tied." Liesl pretended to sigh. She had long-ago been appointed by her mother (who had quickly tired of the job) to be the one to decide which of the three "won" their little battles.

Marta and Gretl had no idea what was going on, but seeing their father with ice cream smudged across his face and Lousia dancing around from cold water down her back was enough to send them into such giggle-fits that the Captain was a little concerned they would vomit.

"What a waste of good ice cream" was Kurt's only comment to their silliness as he picked up the other half of Gretl's uneaten snack and continued to munch away. Brigitta was busy discussing something with Friedrich, and the Captain was instantly worried that there may be a new player to their game. Brigitta was cunning…she'd be a valuable asset to whichever side of the 'battle' she would choose.

All were surprised when the clock tower rang three tolls, and quickened their pace back to the canoes.

The three canoes departed, this time paddling side by side up the river and back towards Aigen. Filled with sugar and laughter, the children were singing some nonsense song her was certain Fraulein Maria must have taught them (something about running for a long ways to sew and eat bread if he heard correctly…)

He soon became so utterly consumed in trying to understand the story the song was trying to tell (for any wise man knows that songs tell stories or pass along messages) that he forgot briefly about the gleam that remained in Louisa and Friedrich's eyes. He forgot that they had recruited a new ally, who had connived a blissfully ignorant Kurt into switching boats so that the Captain was sitting with Kurt and Marta instead of Gretl and Brigitta. He would later remember this false sense of security and marvel that he was still alive after all the wartime battles he had fought if his sense of security was so easily won.

Their attack started passively – he was unaware when the other two canoes were suddenly on either side of him, or when Brigitta's eyes flashed over to Marta, causing the little girl to grab onto the edges of the canoe and become very alert. He was unaware when he was soon the only one paddling because Kurt and Brigitta were holding on for dear life and everyone else was raising their paddles out of the water...

SPLASH! The tidal wave of water that hit him from either side brought him back to reality immediately, as he recognized what had happened. The five children on either side of him had all used their paddles to completely soak him, and partially fill the bottom of his canoe.

His surprise must have been apparent as the children burst into laughter, Friedrich and Louisa's canoe tipping precariously with their shaking. The Captain immediately recognized the opportunity, and with just the slightest pressure from his paddle on their side of their boat, the entire thing tumbled into the lake, his two children immediately disappearing under the surface. Louisa surfaced immediately coughing and sputtering, but to the Captain's worry Friedrich was missing.

His eyes frantically searched the surface of the water, looking for any bubbles or breaks, but none could be found.

Forgetting his place, he immediately stood to get a better look out over the water, trying to find his son.

"FRIEDRICH!" he bellowed in a burst of panic, his voice echoing all the way back to the villa they were so close to reaching.

Moment before, Friedrich had seen his father's paddle coming towards his boat and had taken an extra-large gulp of air before he fell into the murky waters. He allowed himself to sink low enough so that his form would not be seen, then swam with powerful strokes along the bottom to the opposite site of his father's canoe. He hoped his father would search for him where the boat had tipped, and to his delight his assessment had been correct. As soon as the man stood, Friedrich saw his opportunity.

"Over here, father!" he yelled, causing the Captain to spin wildly on the spot. The sudden movement jerked the canoe, and Marta, Kurt and the Captain all tumbled into the water. As he was falling, Kurt tried to grab onto Liesl's hand, but only managed to tip over the final canoe such that Liesl, Gretl, and Brigitta all ended up in the water as well. This time Gretl managed to grab onto Liesl before the canoe went over, and was relieved to feel herself being lifted immediately after the water closed around her head.

"Point to Friedrich!" the blonde boy proudly announced once everyone had surfaced, and the laughter had calmed to a dull roar.

"I should deduct points from all of you" Liesl grumbled, trying in vain to balance her youngest sister while straightening her hair, that now clung to her face.

"Captain, have you learned nothing? You should not stand in a boat" Fraulein Maria called from the shore where she and Max had seen the capsize, her eyes shining with glee, as she realized what a sight she and the children must have been for the Captain to come home to just a couple days before.

"Fraulein Maria!" came the almost perfectly synchronized shouts of the children, as they tried in vain to run through the deep water to see their favourite governess.

"My my Georg. I can honestly say I never thought I would see the day" Max laughed merrily from Maria's side as the Captain climbed out of the water after his children.

"Nor I you" the Captain responded with a pointed look at Max's and Maria's hands that were entwined.

"She is a unique force of nature to move two rocks like us" Max noted quietly, though his voice could have never been heard above the children's shrieks as they recounted their day to their governess, Marta and Gretl already in her arms staining her beautiful dress with their soiled, wet clothing.

Georg and Max both silently noted that she did not notice the ruination of her prized sewing project. She was too engrossed in their stories. Too content holding them in her arms. Too much of a mother to expect anything different.

Elsa watched the happy reunion from her bedroom window, and forced herself to swallow despite the lump that continued to grow larger in her throat.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Second chapter of the day! :) Lots of exposition with a glimpse of Maria/Captain. We are getting there, my friends!**

_Chapter Seventeen_

**_"…_**_David said to the Philistine, 'You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands.'_

_"As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath." (1 Samuel 17)_

Maria closed the Bible, and laid it beside her on the couch.

It was late evening just ten days after the Captain and Elsa had returned to find seven wet yet blissfully happy children… eight days after Maria had returned to find the same thing. The week had been priceless for both the Captain and Maria, both having worn out the children during the day with lessons and games and trips to town, then spending the evening with Elsa and Max respectively in the salon, talking and reading. Neither had experienced such happiness and peace in a very long time.

That evening, when the family had come into the sitting room, Marta had asked Maria to read them a story as had become their custom. For the past week Maria had spent the evenings reading to them various parables from the Bible, and tonight had decided to challenge them with one of her favorite stories from the Old Testament, the battle of David and Goliath. The Reverend Mother would be proud! She had received the reaction that she had hoped for – all the eyes in the room, including those of the Baroness, Max and the Captain who had undoubtedly heard the story before, were as wide as the harvest moon.

"So that man killed the giant?" Marta asked with some amazement in her voice

"No silly, weren't you listening? It was God that killed the giant!" Kurt argued back.

"No, David threw stones at his head and Goliath died" Marta responded decidedly.

"Fraulein Maria?" Kurt decided to get an official ruling.

"You're both right," Maria answered carefully, not wanting to hurt any feelings. "They worked together. God saw that David was willing to stand up for what he believed in, against all odds, and gave David the strength to kill the giant. No one else even considered David as a possibility to fight the giant because he was only a small young shepherd—they did not take into consideration the size of his heart.

"Isn't that kind of what Shakespeare wrote about? Appearance versus reality?" Brigitta asked, thoroughly caught up in the story.

"The idea that things are not as they seem. Shakespeare was a master of it. It's partially why he can offer such timeless advice," Maria agreed. "We see when David turns down the armor offered by Saul the importance of being ourselves regardless of the adversity. To be truthful to whom we are, where we come from, and why we are doing whatever it is we hope to accomplish."

Maria could see that she had lost most of the children, and the attention of both Elsa and Max was fleeting about as well. Only Liesl, Brigitta and the Captain seemed thoroughly intrigued by her theology lesson.

"Strength comes from within" Maria stated simply. This message was the reason that she had chosen this story, and she was eager to pass it along; however, perhaps she had been overly ambitious with tonight's choice. "If you have faith in God, are truthful to yourself, and have pure intentions, there is nothing that you can't overcome." After all the changes that had happened in the past month, this message seemed personally comforting.

"Like my mathematic exams next year?" Gretl asked with wide eyes. She had heard horror stories from her older siblings and watched as they tried to master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. A true monster for a five year old. The others in the room tried not to chuckle as Maria responded with an affirming gesture.

"Absolutely." Maria smiled at the young girl. "Do you remember the story we read last night, about the man named Moses who climbed high on Mount Sinai and wrote down the ten rules we're all supposed to follow?"

Gretl nodded solemnly, exhilarated to be taken so seriously.

"If you follow these rules as well as you possibly can, and study hard, God will help you through all your math tests until you are as old as Liesl!"

Gretl's eyes grew wide. "What are these rules again, Fraulein Maria?" she asked in a hushed whisper, as though she was hoping that God would not hear her asking to repeat his rules

Maria thought for a moment, trying to put the ten holy commandments into the words of a five year old.

"The first four tell us to love God and go to church. God asks us to also love and listen to your Father…" the Captain had a wide smile at this commandment "…not to kill, lie, and not to take what is not yours.

"Like taking Hans' pencils at school even though they are much nicer than mine?" Marta tried to understand.

"Exactly, though it doesn't have to be a thing, per say" the Captain interjected, remembering his Sunday school lessons as a child ad joining in the conversation.

Their puzzled faces convinced her some more explanation was necessary.

"Don't steal people from others…"he began, knowing Gretl and Marta were much too young to understand adultery, but thought the value of faithfulness may be a lesson his older children would do well to learn.

"Like kidnapping?" Marta asked in horror.

The Captain looked uncertain how to continue, so Maria stepped in, recognizing where the Captain was taking his comment.

"That would be wrong as well but I think your father is talking about something a little different. For example, Marta pretend that Hans is your boyfriend" Maria tried not to laugh at Marta's disgusted face and continued, "Just pretend my love. God is then telling you, Gretl, that you should not ask Hans to be your boyfriend…that would be stealing him from Marta" She was feeling flustered, and allowed her voice to trail off.

"That's easy" Gretl smiled widely. "Hans smells like saukraut. So if I follow the rules, God will help me pass my test like he helped David kill the giant!" Gretl exclaimed, and the adults of the room were suddenly envious of childhood's ability to see the world in such a beautifully simple way.

"Or whatever other challenges you might have." Maria agreed.

"Fraulein Maria, has God ever helped you find the strength you needed like He did for David?" Brigitta asked.

Maria froze at the young girl's question. Though the question was innocent, the children knew nothing about her childhood and Maria was determined not to trouble them with her past. She thought as quickly as she could to remember a suitable example.

"Perhaps tonight would be a good night to give it a try," Max interjected before Maria responded.

"What do you mean, Max?" she asked distractedly, still trying to find an answer to the girl's question.

"Ask God to give you the courage to share your talents with us" he sent a pointed look to Maria. His response earned him a raised eyebrow and a questioning look.

"What are you going on about now, Max?" the Baroness asked in a huff, not appreciating the way his and the Captain's gazes had not stray from the governess the entire time she had been speaking.

"Come now Maria, you've had the children singing daily for weeks now. Have they ever heard you sing?"

"That is quite the change of subject, Max" Maria ignored his question, trying to figure out where he was going.

"It's a stretch, I admit." Max shrugged. He was uncomfortable with the theology lesson and had been waiting to hear her sing again for a month, since they last met at the abbey. Not to mention he was looking forward to wiping the smirk off Elsa's face every time she saw the two of them together. Her haughty attitude and demeaning comments when they were alone together were becoming more than he could handle with any semblance of patients. He was certain once Elsa heard the governess sing, she would see the potential and hopefully accept Maria as a future investment. When Max Detweiller wanted something, he damn well would get it.

"Fraulein Maria has been singing with us since her first night here." Louisa answered her uncle.

"So you _were_ singing up there," the Captain laughed as eight sets of cheeks reddened.

"Yes, yes singing some nonsense about deer eating jam toast" Max brushed off. "I mean _really_ sing. I don't think you all understand the talent you have in front of you." He answered quite simply, relishing in the redness that was growing on the young woman's cheeks.

"Fraulein Maria's a wonderful singer" Kurt defended his governess, seated at her feet. Thankful for his support, and praying that his comment would put an end to this unanticipated twist in topics, Maria slightly squeezed the boy's shoulder in gratitude. She was feeling increasingly anxious and uncomfortable with Max's suggestion.

"Do explain, Max," the Captain sighed, knowing his friend well enough to recognize the defiant look in Max's eye. He would not let the subject drop until he had his say, and it was easier to get it over with right away.

"As you are all aware, Maria and I met while she was a postulant at the abbey. After hearing her choir sing, I had immediately decided to promote them in the Salzburg Festival, but when I returned you had snapped her from my clutches Georg"

The Captain raised both his eyebrows with a dispassionate expression.

"Your clutches?" he asked in a monotone voice.

Max ignored him.

"In the short time we had together, I had the life-changing, for it truly was an life-altercating experience, nay opportunity to hear her sing one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs."

"Max…" Maria started to protest, but was cut off.

"Well then please Fraulein, don't keep us in suspense any longer" the Baroness's sarcasm cut deeper than Maria thought it would.

Maria hated all this attention. She resented Max for not only interrupting a teaching moment for the children but for putting her on the spot, with such a huge introduction that would be impossible to live up to. Everything felt out of place – Max had literally pulled this new idea from thin air, always having to be or control the center of attention. She felt intimidated by the thought of singing in front of the Captain, for whom she had so much respect, and was irritated with the Baroness's superiority complex.

"Please Max…" she started, but knew the man well enough to recognize that he would not back down. "I have nothing prepared." She tried.

"You can sing _Amor Di Mi Alma_ like we were practicing"

"That's a choral song"

"You can sing the solo line we were creating."

"There is no music" this was her last defense, and Maria crossed her fingers behind her back in hope it would stump the man. No such luck.

"Naturally I still have the record with the music recording in my briefcase. The Captain has a record player I'm sure he would allow us to borrow.

Seeing that she had no other arguments, he quickly left the room, presumably to find the find his record, not waiting for her retaliation.

"You know you don't have to do everything he says" the Captain spoke softly and directly to a visibly flustered Maria.

"It's fine," she answered. She and Max were a couple – this was obviously important to Max for some unknown reason, and he really wasn't asking much.

He nodded, but the uncertain look on his face betrayed his thoughts. Seeing his expression, she smiled slightly at him and tried to calm her shaking hands.

All too soon Max returned, and before she could fully process what was happening, she was standing in front of the ten of them as the opening notes played giving her the key and the rhythm. She would have loved to be able to sit…anything to make the situation seem less like a recital, but the notes were high and required all the support she had.

As the opening melody played, Maria felt like she was Max's show horse put on display. Unable to look anyone in the eye from sheer embarrassment, she focused her gaze at the window and out into the night and sang to the mountains, to the stars, and to God, losing herself in place and time.

( watch?v=R0xtyjJ8eYo)

Yo no naci, sino para quereros _(I was born to love only you)_

Mi alma os ha cortado a su medida (_My soul has formed you to its measure)_

Habito del alma misma, del alma misma os quiero _(I want you as a garment for my soul)_

Escrito esta en mi alma vuestro gesto (_Your very image is written on my soul)_

Yo lo leo tan solo que aun de vos be guardo en esto (_Such indescribable intimacy, I hide even from you)_

Quanto tengo, confiesso yo de verso (_All that I have, I owe to you)_

Y por vos naci por vos tengo la vida (_For you I was born, and for you I live)_

Habito del alma misma os quiero (_I want you as a garment for my soul)_

Y por vos e de morir (_And for you I must die)_

Y por vos muero (_And for you I give my last breath)_

Por vos (_For you)_

She sang directly to God, her surroundings blurring around her. She sang in sorrow for her defiance as a child. She sang in thankfulness for showing her the way to the abbey when all her paths were blocked. She sang in joy for the happiness she had found at the villa. And she sang for guidance in the future. All the emotions she had been hiding for the past month cumulated in a melody that she released to the heavens.

The hauntingly deep final note of the hymn hung filled the room, and there wasn't a person in it who wasn't feeling a little light headed. The night remained completely silent and still for almost two full minutes. Even Max, who had heard Maria sing parts of this song before, was astounded by the way she had brought it all together, as though something had strengthened her faith and filled her heart to the point of overflow with love.

"That was beautiful my dear" the Baroness was the first to break the silence. It was the first sincere praise Maria had received from the woman, and they shared a genuine smile.

"What did it mean?" Brigitta questioned, and Maria quickly repeated the translation that she had memorized that night she had stayed awake practicing until dawn. It was hard to believe it was just over a month ago – her life at the abbey seemed to be a lifetime away.

"For who are you dying?" the innocent and mildly frightened voice of Marta finally brought a smile to Maria's face.

"Whom, darling. And it is a church hymn, a song about loving the Lord."

As hard as she tried to concentrate on the children's questions, her eyes continued to search for those belonging to the person she had been the most nervous singing in front of.

The Captain's gaze had not shifted away from his hands folded neatly in his lap the entire length of the song, unwilling to meet the eyes of anyone else in the room. Listening to Maria sing had been paralyzing. There truly was no other word for his body and mind's reaction to the rich tone of her voice, so clear and passionate. It was as if her voice had put him into hypovolemic shock; his heart was racing yet his breathing was slowed and shallow. His throat was dry and he felt cold and hot at the same time. The minute she sang, the rest of the world had ceased to exist, and that feeling was hypnotizing and confusing.

He realized, of course, that he was being terribly rude at not commenting on Fraulein Maria's performance, especially after her reluctance to sing for them at all, and the idea of maintaining his manners was a tangible goal he grasped onto like a life raft.

He forced himself to raise his eyes, which were immediately met by a blue as pure as the Mediterranean Sea—eyes that had already become so very familiar to him. The children were crowded around their uncle Max all chattering excitedly, but he took no notice as he made his way over to Maria.

"Astounding"

He offered her his hand.

Maria stared at the outstretched hand, confused about the reason for a congratulatory handshake. It was out of character and out of context.

She reached out and took his hand, and his fingers immediately curled around her small palm.

"Thank you" she replied, still never breaking his eye contact.

The two remained with their hands entwined for a moment longer than necessary, before they slowly stepped apart. Maria could feel a tightness in her chest that she could not identify and the sensation like her very bones were shivering inside her body. Tears threatened to fall from the shear emotional upheaval of the past five minutes. She allowed herself to fall into the nearest sofa, realizing only once seated she was right beside Max. She took no notice, silently begging the Lord for any distraction to keep her from falling apart right then.

Max immediately notices Maria's pale complexion and heard her shaky breath, and pulled her in close to him. "Are you tired?" he asked softly in her ear. She nodded, he began to gently stroke her arm

"I have a wonderful idea, Georg!" The Baroness finally spoke again, having witnessed the entire exchange between the Captain and Maria. "You should give a grand and glorious party for me while I'm here. I think it's high time I met all your friends in Salzburg, and they met me!"

The Captain nodded slowly, urging his brain to process everything that was going on.

"I see what you mean" he replied slowly, causing a wide grin to appear on the Baroness's face. The Captain was happy to see her smile - since they met she had been cheering him up, and Georg relished in the thought of bringing her some happiness. He dismissed the strange unease he had been fighting and went to sit with Elsa on the couch, allowing an arm to rest around her shoulder and the other hand entwined with hers as they began to discuss plans for the party.

An excited chatter filled the room as the girls immediately began discussing the types of dresses they wanted, Louisa and Friedrich pushing to move back their bedtime, and Kurt and Max the types of food that should be served.

"Have you any thoughts about when this should occur?" the Captain asked, wondering how much time he would lose with his children because of planning.

"I was thinking the first Saturday evening of August!"

"But Elsa!" the Captain protested. "That's in two weeks!"

"Plenty of time for a planner such as I!" she boasted. "With your help, and Max's, we could pull together the party people will tell their grandchildren about!"

Maria glazed at the floor, feeling excluded. It was quite apparent that the Baroness did not want her to help in the planning of this party.

"Fraulein Maria?" Gretl climbed onto the couch and sat right in between Max and Maria, separating them.

"What are we going to do then, tomorrow? If Father and everyone will be planning the party, what will we do?" The excited chatter of the children ceased, as she realized they would have no say in the planning of the party.

The Captain looked over at his children, and saw that the excitement had drained from their faces. He immediately felt guilty, and was determined to find a way to include them in the party planning. 

Remembering the girl's conversation, he turned to his children. "Children, how would you like to go to town tomorrow with Fraulein Maria, and pick out new outfits to wear to the party? You will need to be measured, and the seamstress usually requires almost a full fortnight to complete the more fancy dresses" Friedrich, Louisa, and even Brigitta quickly scrunched up their noses in disgust.

The Captain quickly noticed, and laughed. "What would you like to do, Brigitta?" He asked, surprised as her distaste for shopping. The other two were to be expected.

"I want finish reading this play I just started!" She declared. "Father lent it to me from his study. It's this amazing story about a Commander who promotes a younger man to a high-esteemed position instead of a friend of his, and this friend becomes very jealous and plots against him and his wife. Right now the Commander is planning to poison his wife, and is telling the scheming friend all about his plans, and I'm pretty sure that this is all exactly what the friend had planned from the start!" Brigitta was practically hyperventilating she was so excited.

"That sounds so much better than dress shopping" Friedrich moaned aloud.

"Yes Fraulein Maria, couldn't we stay here put on Brigitta's play?" Louisa asked, a spark of an idea blossoming. "There are enough of us to cover all the parts, I'm sure!" She could practically envision the events that could come to transpire, and the prospect excited her even beyond the level of getting out of a shopping trip. Pretending to poison Liesl could only lead to fun times ahead.

"Louisa, that play would scare Marta and Gretl so badly they wouldn't fall asleep on their own for weeks!" Liesl countered, looking forward to a shopping trip.

The desire to poison her increased exponentially.

"Liesl's right, we must go into town!" Kurt loudly protested, much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

"Kurt, I never realized you enjoyed shopping so much" the Captain noted.

"Oh no! I plan on picking out an outfit as quickly as possible. I just know Liesl will take forever choosing a pattern and material, so we'll have to go to that café down the block from the stores for lunch!"

"And I want a pink dress!" Gretl announced, unable to contain her excitement any longer.

"I'll make you all a deal." Maria stepped in, hoping to please everyone, and prevent a screaming match. "Why don't we go shopping with tomorrow, and then the following day we can choose a play that we can perform. Othello may be a bit advanced, Brigitta, but perhaps a short musical? Your father, the Baroness and Max can plan the party; we'll have something to plan as well! Perhaps when we are finished, we can perform it for them as well!"

The children burst into excited chatter once again, eager to begin planning their play/musical. The debate was already beginning whether it should be a comedy or a tragedy.

The Captain, whose concentration still focused heavily on the governess, a feeling he was having difficult shaking, was impressed by her quick recognition of the classic Shakespearean play.

"But first, shopping tomorrow!" he said. "You will all need something to wear to this party! In the morning, perhaps Max can drive you into town as I have to make a trip to Innsbruck to hire the orchestra and catering team. Perhaps Max can then pick you up after lunch?." Kurt's grin at the plan made everyone laugh.

"But Captain, shouldn't you be there to help them pick out suitable outfits?" Maria asked, worried her taste may not be the same as what the fashion magazines would suggest. She knew quality fabrics and stitchwork better than any shopkeeper, but style she could not even pretend to have.

"I trust you." He spoke plainly and truthfully. "Perhaps Liesl can show you some of the fashion magazines she hides in her history books before you leave." His daughter laughed as he continued, "but for now children, I believe it is time you all retired for the night. It sounds like your fraulein has a busy couple of weeks planned for you."

"Your father is right. Time for bed." Maria pulled away from Max to take the hands of the two youngest girls.

"Good night, Father, Baroness, Uncle Max!" Marta shyly kissed them all on the cheek.

"It will be my first party, father!" Gretl was nearly bouncing as she left the room.

Quickly the children kissed their Father, the Baroness and Max on the cheeks, and hustled out of the room, still planning their play.

Once the room had emptied a bit, the Captain turned to Elsa.

"Would you be interested in accompanying me to Innsbruck tomorrow?"

"Come now darling, you can't expect me to drop everything at the shake of a hat. I'm afraid I already have plans to meet with an old friend.

Max walked over to join them.

"Will this work for you, Max? If not, I can drop them off on the way to Innsbruck, but wouldn't be able to pick them up until much later."

"Not a problem at all; I had been planning on making a quick trip into town anyways. But do remind me tomorrow morning- I must speak with that cook of yours immediately about the meal for evening of the ball. My reputation of a food connoisseur depends on it!"

"Quite the change for a man who used to be more concerned with quantity than quality" the Captain wryly noted.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: And now for an interlude with just the pairing we've all been waiting for! **

_Chapter Eighteen_

The first rays of sun were peeping over the horizon as Maria woke. She had not slept well all night, and was happy to finally see the sun—a sign she could finally get up. Although she had not slept much, she felt wide-awake and restless.

Her thoughts had been disoriented all night, consistently returning to the strangeness of that handshake. She could never lie to herself – when she had returned to her room that night the memory of the look in his eye while he held her hand in his was enough to elicit a small sob and an overwhelming feeling of sadness that she could not identify. Though the entire situation had been emotionally charged, she could not say why such a harmless, innocent act like shaking someone's hand had made her feel like the world was caving in around her. These thoughts combined with disbelief that Max had put her in the spotlight and pushed her to do something he knew would make her uncomfortable even after she refused had resulted in a restless sleep.

As the adage promised, things indeed looked better in the early light of the morning.

Maria washed her face and picked out a dark blue dress for the day, remembering they were going shopping, and then tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to make any noises. It was about 6:30 in the morning, and she did not think that it would be appreciated if she woke everyone. The children still had an hour and a half before they had to get up and get ready to go.

As she reached the main floor, Maria gazed through the window, outside to mountains. The faint glow of yellow began appearing over the tops of the mountains. She knew where she had to go, if she wanted to calm down.

She made a brief stop in the kitchen to prepare a mug of tea and continued on her way.

She quietly opened the door to the terrace, and the cool morning breeze whirled around her.

"Are things so bad here you must leave us?" A voice broke the calm silence, and started Maria. She gasped and twirled around, nearly spilling the hot liquid. The Captain stood in the hall, an amused grin on his face.

"I'm sorry to startled you, Fraulein" he approached her.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I was just hoping to see the sun rise." She admitted, hoping she didn't sound like she was making an excuse, as she slowly stepped away from the door, which gently closed once again. "I could not sleep, and thought that instead of lying in bed, I could get up and take advantage of the morning air."

Captain walked over to the door, and held it open. "After you, Fraulein."

The two of them stood on the balcony, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of him against the cool morning air. They stood in silence for a while, gazing out at the mountains before them, watching the sun's brilliant oranges, pinks and reds slowly appear over the dark grey, white-capped Alps. The sky was soon full of colour, and seemed to take on a life-like appearance.

Maria sighed to herself, remembering the many times she would be on her mountain, watching the sun rise over this very house.

The silence between her and the Captain was comfortable, and without thinking to whom she was speaking, or even that she was speaking at all, Maria began to talk. "When I was little, before my father died, he would often wake me in the middle of the night, and tell me we were going on an adventure. He would never tell me where, despite how many times I would ask, although the place was always the same. The world would be pitch black, yet he could always find that mountain, right over there." Maria gestured towards 'her mountain'. "We would sit together on the hill and watch the sun rise…" her voice trailed off as she remembered these times, the times before her life had turned.

"The last thing he told me before he passed away was that whenever I needed him I should go to the mountain and he would be waiting for me there. When I was in the abbey, and I got upset about …something," Maria blushed slightly, remembering the reason for her last escape. "I would climb the wall and go to the mountain. The Reverend Mother must had gotten so fed up with me, but she never showed it!" Maria and the Captain both laughed slightly.

"What else did you do in the abbey?" the Captain asked, interested in how a spitfire like his governess could have survived such a regimented lifestyle.

"Pray, eat, pray, work and pray." Maria answered, finally diverting her eyes from the mountains to look into the Captain's laughing eyes.

"Surely you must do more then that in an abbey!" the Captain exclaimed. "I've actually never belonged to one…" (Imagine that!" Maria couldn't help but thing) "… but there must be something else you enjoy there?"

"The sense of being part of something bigger than myself" Maria answered honestly. "When I was young I used to watch the sisters at work and I envied them. They seemed so…protected. Protected not only from the tangible threats, but also from solitude, loneliness, and purposelessness. They appeared so much like a family."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" the Captain asked as softly so as not to scare her.

"The weeks after I first entered I knew no one, and I quickly learned most sisters prefer to speak to God instead of each other. I tried to learn, to follow their example, but I guess I just don't assimilate well."

The Captain and her shared a pointed look, and laughed briefly before she continued.

"I joined the choir a couple weeks later, and began meeting other singers. Those practices soon became the highlight of my week, and the Reverend Mother was kind enough to offer me the position of choir director when the opportunity arose. If I lived a thousand lives I do not think I would ever be able to thank her enough for everything she has done for me."

"Nor I be able to thank you enough" the Captain couldn't stop himself from adding. As much as he hated to interrupt her narrative, he would take whatever opportunity he had, for the rest of his life, to thank Maria for giving him back his children.

"She should have forced me to leave the abbey a thousand times, but she kept encouraging me to learn from my mistakes, showing me the path when I was lost, and now I find myself here with your wonderful children about to attend my first ball! I feel like Gretl just saying that"

Maria laughed along with the Captain.

"I will keep a lookout for a pink frilly dress in your size" the Captain joked.

"Captain, what type of outfits would you like us to get the children while we are in town today? I have never been to a party such as this, and I am not entirely sure what attire would be appropriate. And I doubt Louisa would agree to return to town to go shopping again for another dress!"

The Captain had to laugh at the truthfulness in this. "I'm afraid Louisa takes after me. I dread shopping days! You have nothing to worry about. I will phone the stores this morning as soon as they open and inform them that we will need 6 dresses and 2 suits. They will know what kind of style is appropriate, and I am sure you will have a good idea of what colours and styles suit everyone with your talent."

Maria momentarily gazed at her feet, embarrassed by his praise. "Captain?" he asked all of a sudden. "Don't you mean five dresses and two suits? Not six?"

"Of course not!" he exclaimed, clearly shocked. "One for Liesl, Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, Gretl, and one for yourself. Perhaps not pink and frilly, but you will need something to wear."

"Oh, but Captain, I really don't need a dress! I won't be at the party!"

"Nonsense, Fraulein! Of course you will be joining us!" The Captain looked shocked at the thought that she wouldn't be coming.

"Thank you Captain, but surely I can simply wear one of the dresses I have already!" Maria was determined not to accept any more from him

"Fraulein Maria. No matter what you say, you will be picking up a dress for yourself as well as the children when you are in town today. I will phone the stores and confirm it before you arrive. I ask you, please allow me to buy you one dress, as a thank you for giving me back my children? Please?"

The Captain gave her a wonderful imitation of Gretl's puppy eyes.

Maria laughed. "Very well Captain, and thank you. I must compliment you as well on your interpretation of Gretl's pleading look!"

"Gretl's look!" the Captain shot back, determined to keep a straight face. "Who do you think taught Gretl that look?"

Together they laughed. The faint tolling of bells could be heard from the abbey where Maria called home. Eight tolls.

"Eight!" Maria cried. "The children should have been up an hour ago!"

"Late as ever" the Captain called after her as she raced through the patio's doors, paused realizing she left her mug outside, and retrieved it from the outstretched hand of a laughing sea captain.

"You would make quite the soldier…the entire war could have passed before you realized that you were supposed to show up."


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter Nineteen_

Maria, Max, and the seven children fell out of the car. They had finally arrived in town. Maria was overjoyed to be out of the confined area, where Gretl had been squirming on her knee, the dashboard in her lap, Max to her left, a door to her right, and Friedrich's knees pushing into the back of her seat as he tried to balance Marta on his knees.

Maria mentally cursed the Baroness and her need for the larger car to visit some friend of hers. Why the woman would be unwilling to have Franz drive her in this station wagon was beyond her imagination.

"All right, children!" Maria called for their attention, eager to begin and get the shopping finished. She was not sure how long buying two suits and five…-six she reminded herself- dresses would take. "Now your father said girls should go to…" Maria searched with her eyes for the store she was supposed to take them to. "…That store over there" she pointed to a dress shop on the far right. "And you boys are to go there." She pointed to a men's clothing store on the left.

Unsure what to do, she turned to Max. "Could you possibly take the boys, and I'll take the girls?" she pleaded.

"Sorry, Maria but I have to be getting back to the villa. Georg wants me to decide on the menu for the party!" He licked his lips.

"Black Forest cake is a solid choice, Uncle Max" Kurt chimed in.

"Kurt, we are peas in a pod you and I. I'll be back around two o'clock. What do you say we meet at the café Bazar? Liesl and Friedrich will remember the way." Max leaned over, kissed Maria on the cheek and walked in the other direction.

"Where is he going?" Brigitta asked. "The car is right there!"

"Maybe he has to pick something up for Father" Liesl suggested, as puzzled as the rest. "Though with Uncle Max, you never really know what's he's up to."

Maria had tuned out the children's conversations, trying to figure out how she could supervise them both groups at once, while being fitted for a dress, so they could be finished by two o'clock. They only had four hours.

"Very well." She decided, coming up with a plan. "Liesl, you will be in charge of the girls. Friedrich, you are Kurt stay together. First we will go to the boy's shop and drop Kurt and Friedrich off there to begin their measurements. You don't have as many designs to choose from, so that should be relatively straightforward. Bowties are not needed gentlemen, and it will be very warm so I suggest short slacks. The rest of us will go to the dress shop, and you all will begin being measured. While this is happening, I will return to the boy's shop, and we can decide on a colour for your suit and make sure payment is arranged. While they finish, I will return to the girl's shop to decide on designs and fabrics. If you all stick together and help each other out, everything should go smoothly." Maria smiled at them.

"But Fraulein, when will you be fitted for your dress?" Liesl asked, remembering how Father had told her specifically to make sure Fraulein Maria got a dress as well.

"We'll see, Liesl, if there is time at the end. If not, I will find something of my own to wear."

"But-"

"Goats butt, bees fly, and seven children who need party outfits better get moving!." Maria laughed. "Let's go, we have no time to waste!" The eight of them made their way to the first shop where Maria went in with the boys, and was pleased to find a tailor expecting them and ready with samples. She and the girls then proceeded to the second shop, where the same thing happened.

Leaving the girls to get measured, Maria ran back to the boy's shop. Luck was with her today, and everything was going as planned. Friedrich and Kurt quickly decided on grey and agreed with the short-pants design, and Maria was able to leave, telling the tailor to send the outfits to the villa when they would be ready, and to charge it to Captain von Trapp, as she had been instructed. She then instructed the boys to come to the girl's shop when they were finished changing back into their own clothes and sprinted back across the street.

Unfortunately, Maria's luck ran out when she arrived back to the girl's shop. Gretl was crying, Louisa was yelling, Liesl was trying to hush Louisa, and Marta was standing in the corner of the shop, looking very scared. Brigitta was the only person who seemed calm, sitting on a stool looking at a magazine full of dresses.

"What's wrong?" Maria asked as she walked into the store. "Gretl, are you okay?"

"She's fine, Fraulein" Louisa snapped. "She's just a spoiled brat!"

Gretl's cry grew louder.

Maria could feel her patience begin to run thin. It was already 12:45.

"Brigitta, could you please tell me what happened?" she turned to the young girl, knowing she would get the truth without a lot of emotions mixed in.

"Liesl saw a dress she liked, that was pink. When Gretl saw it, she said she wanted the same dress. The workers here said they could not make that dress in her size, and Gretl started crying. Louisa tried showing her other dresses, but she didn't want to see them, and was pouting. Louisa got mad, and started yelling at Gretl to grow up and choose something else." Brigitta and Maria let out simultaneous sighs.

"All right, girls. Let's choose quickly so we can have some lunch before we return home. The boys will be here soon, and I doubt they will want to wait. Has anyone picked out a dress style they like?" Maria asked, praying at least one of them had.

Marta timidly raised her hand.

"Excellent. The rest of you, look quickly and quietly please. You need to know what style and what material. There are plenty of other patterns, Gretl. I'll help you look in a minute."

Maria turned her attention to Marta, who was still standing in the corner, her head down and shoulders hunched. "Are you alright darling?" she asked.

Marta nodded, and held out a magazine with a picture of a dress with little puff-sleeves, and a knee-length skirt that flared at the bottom. "May I get this dress, Fraulein Maria?"

"Of course! It is a lovely dress, Marta!" Maria reassured her. "What colour do you want it to be?"

"Yellow" Marta replied, and both smiled. Together they walked to the counter to place the first order.

An hour later, everyone had a dress picked out. Kurt and Friedrich had been none too pleased when they had arrived to the store and found that they would have to wait, but when they saw how flustered Maria was, they quickly sat on the small couch provided and read fashion magazines, laughing at many of the outfits and models' expressions.

Liesl had decided on a cocktail length dress, with a full skirt, all in a very light blue, and a yellow sash. Louisa chose on a white dress with an square neckline and simple A-line skirt which fell to mid-calf. Brigitta picked out a yellow knee-length dress with short flowing sleeves, and Gretl, based on Kurt's assessment that pink is icky, ultimately decided to follow the white-and-yellow theme her sisters had begun and chose a dress similar to Louisa's much to her sister's amusement.

A very tired Maria, and the children walked to the closest fountain, and stopped and sat down on the rim.

"Whew! Glad that's over!" Maria smiled at the children. "You did well. We got your dresses and suits, and have half and hour to spare! What would you like to do?"

"Sit!"

"Eat!"

"Sleep!"

Random suggestions flew through the air, but Liesl stopped them.

"But Fraulein, we never had time to get you a dress!" She suddenly remembered, shooting a dirty look towards her siblings who were making a disgusted face.

Maria gave a chuckle at the horrified looks on everyone's faces. "Thank you Liesl, but it's quite alright. I'm sure none of us want to go back to another store today, and I will be able to find something of my own to wear." She gave Liesl a big smile, as the bells from the clock began to chime twice.

"Come along children. Perhaps your Uncle Max got to the restaurant early. It's time for some lunch! You must all be starving!"

Maria bent over and picked up Gretl, who was sound asleep on the fountain's edge. _Just how I feel! _Maria briefly closed her eyes. _I suppose I should have gone back to sleep this morning instead of rising with the sun!_

All in a bunch, the eight of them began walking in the direction of the Café Bazar along the river, one more eager to sit and eat than the next.

Much to everybody's relief, Max was waiting in the café at a table for nine, so they were able to speed past the line and collapse into their seats, eagerly gulping down the water in front of each setting.

"It went that well?" Max joked, entwining his fingers with Maria's under the table.

The waiter was almost immediately at their table, taking everyone's orders. As Maria had come to expect, Max ordered for both himself and for her, but she was content to recognize that most of the meal was well within her limitations.

After they had some food in their stomachs, the children started to gain second wind. They were soon actively telling their Uncle Max in painfully detailed details of their outfits for the ball, while Kurt, Friedrich and Louisa were in a three-way argument over the type of cake that should be served for dessert.

"What an beautiful family!" the shrill voice of an older woman who was walking past their table on her way out of the restaurant broke into the children's conversation. "Tell me dear, how did you manage to maintain your figure with seven young ones? You don't appear more than ten years older than your eldest!"

It took a moment for Maria to register what she had heard and what it meant. For just a split second, the words of the woman made complete sense – yes, they were her children thank you! Almost immediately, however, reality came back and she realized the absurdity of the statement.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but these are the children of Captain von Trapp. I am their gov-"

"The children of the Captain in town frolicking about? Well I never."

"Frolicking?"

"And I suppose you must be the governess. I certainly don't envy that job at all - no, I have heard the terror stories"

"Then you have been falsely informed" Maria coolly tried to interject, but in vain.

"And bringing a date on an outing with your charges? I have never heard of such a thing!"

"I am the children's uncle" Max interjected quickly, trying in vain to release Maria's hand under the table without the elder woman noticing noticing.

Of course she noticed.

"Captain von Trapp's own brother dating the help! And then exposing the children to such indecencies. Preposterous!" she huffed.

"He's not my bro-" Max began but was cut off by a steaming Maria.

Maria stood and squared her shoulders at the woman. She knew better than to react this way, but her sense of decorum had many times been overcome by her temper, and this would be such a time.

"That is quite enough. You have insulted me and those I care about in every possible way and I trust must now be satisfied with your misinformed, ill-guided efforts. If you have a concern with how his children are being raised, I suggest you bring it up with the Captain himself. Now, you are upsetting the children, and I must ask you to leave us at once. "

The shade of red that the woman turned, Kurt thought, would be a wonderfully sweet strawberry.

Without a word she took off through the door, her husband in tow.

Maria sat down with as much finesse as she possessed.

"I am very sorry you had to see that" she simple responded to their shocked expressions.

Liesl reached across the table and took her governess' hand.

"Thank you, Fraulein Maria. For defending us, Father, and Uncle Max. She had no right to speak to you in that manner."

The children purposefully shifted their conversation to a more pleasant topic, as Maria attempted to process what she had done, and what the consequences might be. Her losing her temper was not a rare event; however, in the past she had very little to lose by lashing out. She couldn't believe she had placed the reputation of the Captain, his children, and Max Detweiller in such danger.

"You are so attractive when you're angry." Max whispered so only she could hear as he rubbed small circles on her knee with his thumb. "And don't worry, Frau Kleiner won't mention this to anyone- it would be too embarrassing for her"

"You know that vile woman?"

"Well enough to know she would not want anyone else to think she lost any dispute with a governess. She is actually a close acquaintance of Elsa's, a very vain woman."

"I suppose that at least that's one less invitation for the Captain to write to the ball" Maria smiled

"Fraulein Maria?" Gretl was pulling on her sleeve.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Is Uncle Max really your boyfriend?"

Maria froze momentarily. Though she and Max had discussed it, she wasn't sure what propriety would say about her telling the children the truth.

But since when had she ever cared about propriety?

"Yes" she nodded, with a slight smile. "He is."

"Why?"

"Because I like him very much" she smiled at Max who calmly placed his arm around her shoulders.

"But why?" the young girl pressed.

"We both love music, he makes me laugh, I have a lot of fun when we spend time together, and he is a good man."

Max bent his head and placed the smallest kiss on Maria's cheek, as the girls "awe-ed" and the boys just rolled their eyes.

Maria's had to bite the corners of her mouth to prevent a large silly smile from emerging. Being surrounded by people she loved more than anything in the world with a man that seemed to care about her like she cared about him, was the feeling that she had been searching for forever. She allowed herself to sink into Max's form beside her as the children continued to discuss this and that as they waited for dessert to be delivered.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: A short chapter of important conversations. There's a huge blizzard outside so there's a hight likelihood another chapter may be posted yet tonight! Enjoy and, as always, reviews are more than appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me this far!**

That evening after the children were tucked into bed, several secretive conversations occurred at either end of the house. Maria was occupied reading to the young girls to try to contain their excitement of the day and ready them for sleep. It was already much later than their normal bedtime but they were so excited by their new dresses, planning the play the next day, and the upcoming ball that sleep was a long ways away. Maria sighed slightly as she closed her third book, the girls' eyes still bright. She decided to try a new tactic, and softly began to sing.

In the parlor, Max and Elsa were deep in conversation. A fly on the wall would have heard the following conversation:

"I have yet to congratulate you on the party, my dear. Convincing Georg to throw such an extravagant event is no menial task."

"I do hope that the party will be as splendid as promised"

"With you planning it, it cannot be anything but"

"Well there is one little detail that I cannot control"

"Come now Elsa, do not be coy. You probably have more control over that detail that Georg does himself"

"A month ago I might have agreed, Max."

"Elsa. You are irresistible. It is simply a matter of time"

"I support you're probably right. Heavens knows I have been waiting long enough. And with a party such as the one I am planning, everyone will be expecting an announcement of some kind. I had hoped it would not come to this; naturally it would have been lovely for it to be a decision he made on his own, but things were changing and I had to act fast. Hopefully the pressure might be enough to give Georg the final push"

"All that lovely money finally coming together"

"Max you are terrible. I hope to inherit more than money from this union!"

"Yes, what exactly do you plan on doing with these 'inheritances'? I get a fiendish delight thinking of you as the mother of seven"

"Come now. Haven't you heard of a delightful little thing called boarding school?"

"You don't think your friends would have some gossip about the sudden disappearance of Georg's seven children?"

"Max you know better than anyone that their children have been studying abroad for years. Besides, with Georg's and my social standing combined, we will be untouchable by such trivial matters, and you know it. And speaking of gossip, I heard the oddest bit of information from an old friend of mine today."

"If the information is coming from one of your friends, I have no doubt that it would be odd"

"After swearing me to silence, the naïve thing, Frau Kleiner informed me of the most insulting rendez-vous today"

Pause

"Really Max, I never took you for such a perfectionist. When I asked you to woo Maria, I didn't mean that you had to pay quite this much attention to the young thing, just enough for the Captain to understand that she is unavailable. A meal with the governess and the children, and without Georg? In public? You are very lucky that I convinced Frau Kleiner to keep her silence. Imagine what it would do to your reputation!"

"Elsa, I was not spending time with Maria because you told me to. I was with her because I truly enjoy her company"

"Very funny Max."

"Not joking, Elsa."

"Maxim Detweiller enjoying the company of a nun and governess? No, of course that sounds highly believable."

"She has not taken her vows, and you may believe what you wish. She sees all that is good in the world – it is refreshing to spend time with her and discuss matters other than the terrible coloring of Frau Helga's hair or the new cut of suit that is in style."

"Next I suppose you will tell me that you are attracted to her atrocious clothing and male-haircut as well"

"Elsa someday you will learn that I am capable of sentiments other than pure lust when it comes to women."

"Perhaps, but someday you will realize that in the end lust will always prevail."

* * *

The second notable conversation of the evening was simultaneously transpiring in the hall outside the older girls' bedroom. After Brigitta and Louisa had settled in to their respective novels and the Captain signaled Liesl to step into the hall.

"How did it go today?"

"The shopping part went well, I think. Some problems between Gretl and Louisa…you know how Louisa gets during shopping trips"

A chuckle.

"Did she get a dress as well?"

The pronoun required no explanation.

"No, it took longer get all of us fitted and agreed, that by the time we were done everyone was exhausted. There still could have been time for her to choose something but she didn't want to make us wait for her"

"That doesn't surprise me." The Captain had anticipated Maria's actions.

"But Father? Something happened at lunch that you should know about. We were eating with Fraulein Maria and Uncle Max when some woman came up. She thought Max was your brother that Maria was our mother, and when Maria told her who we really were, she said a lot of nasty comments about Maria, Uncle Max, and us."

Cautiously – "What did Fraulein Maria do?"

"She basically told this lady that she was deeply insulted, to voice any complaints to you, and then asked her to leave immediately"

A booming laugh.

"That's our Fraulein. You didn't happen to catch who it was?"

"I believe Uncle Max called her Frau Kleiner, but I could be mistaken."

"It wouldn't surprise me. Although if it is, I'm sure she would have spoken to Elsa. She didn't mention anything to me…"

"Father?"

"Yes darling?"

"Are you going to ask the Baroness to marry you?"

"How would you and your brothers and sisters feel if I did?"

"If she will make you happy, like you were when Mother was alive, I think we could come to accept her. I would try, anyways."

"I know you would my love. You are too much like your mother sometimes, looking after me instead of yourself"

"She was a smart woman"

"That she was."

"She would have wanted you to be happy."

"She would have wanted us all to be happy."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: As promised, another chapter! **

**_Chapter Twenty-One_**

The warm sun burned against Maria's cheeks as she woke the following morning. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. Nine o'clock! She gasped. How can it be so late? I never sleep this late!

Not surprisingly, her sharp ears could make out the pattering of feet downstairs. She groaned slightly as she rolled out of bed and hastily dressed, praying to the highest heavens the Captain would not be downstairs and acknowledge her lateness…again.

A strange sight met her eyes as she descended the stairs and the front entrance came into view. Four huge boxes filled the foyer, and the seven children surrounded them.

Gretl was the first to see her. "Fraulein Maria! We've been waiting for you! Uncle Max said we couldn't open these until you came down. What took you so long?"

Max stepped out from behind one of the large boxes. "Surprise surprise!" he smiled. "Good morning, Maria. I trust you slept well."

"Thank you, Max. Indeed I did. Now why are you all so excited about your father's boxes, children?"

"They're for us!" Louisa shrieked, again reading the label on the box.

"To: Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, Gretl and Maria"

"Why am I last?" Maria joked.

"Probably because you're the most important!" the Captain walked into the room, adding "or possibly because you are always the last to arrive…" Maria couldn't help but laugh at what had become their friendly banter.

"Yes, well better late than never" Liesl interjected, as curious as her siblings to move things along. "So what is all of this, Uncle Max?"

"I'd suggest you ask your father."

Everyone turned to the Captain. "May I suggest opening it?" he smiled.

"May we open the boxes, Fraulein Maria?" Kurt asked. "Please?" The Captain did a double take when he realized his word was not enough permission and that fraulein Maria had to approve as well.

"Well, I don't see any reason why not…"

The eight of them began ripping open the cardboard boxes. Friedrich, Louisa and Marta were the first ones to have their box opened. They lifted the top and peeked inside.

"Wow!" Marta exclaimed, as everyone else ran up to see what was inside the box. There was a theater, too small for people to stand on, yet with a velvet fancy curtain that opened and closed.

The other two boxes were quickly opened, revealing a wide variety of puppets and scenery.

"What is this for?" Maria asked, turning to Max.

"Well, darling, you said you wanted to put on a play. I was talking to Georg, and he thought that you might like to put on a puppet show instead. When you went into town yesterday, I placed the order, and made sure they would deliver it here this morning!"

"Thank you father!" The children yelled and surrounded him with hugs.

"Come along, children. We best get this theater out of the front foyer. Any special place you would like us to keep it, Captain?" she asked, unsure where to store such an enormous toy.

"Perhaps in here?" the Captain asked, gesturing to the gold room Maria had been forbidden to enter upon her arrival.

Maria gave him a surprised and questioning look, which he responded to with only a nod of his head and a wink.

The older children, the Captain and Max carried the heavy parcels into the beautiful room, while Maria calmed the young girls, and stopped their skipping around laughing.

"I'm afraid that this will all have to be cleaned out by the ball?" the Captain joined Maria as she entered the room, Gretl and Marta in tow.

"Oh of course, Captain. That gives us just under two weeks to practice, and we'll present it the day before the ball. Of course if that is alright with you?" she asked, wondering how she would be able to put on a play in just over two weeks.

While waiting for an answer, Maria began sorting through the puppets. A puppet of a girl in a pink coat, with a crucifix around her neck suddenly drew her attention. An idea of a wonderful play they could perform began to brew as she racked her mind for an old folksong her mother used to sing to her.

The Captain couldn't help but marvel at the puppet that Maria had chosen to center on. From the way she handled that puppet, it was as if she understood how much that very one had cost him. It was made to very specific instructions that he had given the toy-maker in town. Short blonde hair, bright blue eyes…the man had done a formidable job and that Captain was touched at the attention the Fraulein was paying to it.

"All right, children." She clapped her hands. "I believe we better get to work if we want to be ready to next Friday!" It was Monday morning, so she had twelve days inclusive.

"Fraulein?" the Captain turned his attention back to her. "I believe you may have forgotten something? Perhaps the children's lessons?"

Maria's face reddened as she remembered their neglected studies.

"Please father. Could we do our lessons after the ball? If we promise we'll work extra hard?" Liesl begged.

"Yes father, we're much too excited to concentrate now, anyways." The other children joined her, making excuses to put off their work.

"Come now Georg. They deserve a holiday every now and then" Max chimed in, obviously at the prodding of Maria.

The Captain laughed at their pleading eyes.

"Well, I seem to be outnumbered!" he laughed. "Very well, but once this party is over, I expect all of you to catch up!"

"We will father!" Friedrich chimed in, delighted he wouldn't have to worry about intro algebra for a glorious two weeks.

"Now shoo!" Louisa ushered her father and Max out the door, calling out to them "Our play will be a surprise!" On that note, she slammed the door in the surprised faces of her father, the Baroness, and Max.

"Now" Louisa continued, taking the helm of this project, "we need a play."

The children sat around stumped for a few minutes. While plays such as _Othello_ are wonderful acted, puppet-Othello seemed quite silly. Especially if they would sing.

"If you would like, I have an idea" Maria offered, and with the their encouragement she explained her plan.

"Excellent!" Louisa maintaining the role of leader. "We have our show. It is crunch time, and so we need to delegate jobs. Liesl and Friedrich – you are responsible for learning how to use these puppets…" Louisa held up a web of interwoven strings "…and then teach the rest of us. Soon. Today preferably."

The dangerous glare in her older sibling's eye prompted her to move on.

"Kurt and Brigitta, set the theater up here in the salon before Father can change his mind. I don't have to remind you of what happened the last time we were in here…granted we didn't have permission but still. The two raccoons we hid in here probably didn't help…or that we used three of Father's suit jackets to create a bed for them…especially once the mother delivered…" Louisa trailed off with a laugh.

Maria cleared her throat to hide her laughter and to get the girl back on track.

"Brigitta can read the instructions and Kurt, just do as she says. Marta you need to help Fraulein Maria get ready to teach us the music. Help her gather her guitar, record player or whatever else she might need. And Gretl? You're on watch. If Father or Max come too close to the room, hoot like an owl and someone will come and get rid of them."

"What are you going to be doing, Louisa?" Friedrich asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Supervising. Now, we are on a tight schedule. I want the puppets mastered, the theater up, and the music ready to be learned by after dinner time. Questions?"

Maria timidly raised her hand, trying her hardest not to laugh at the blonde dictator in the room.

"Fraulein?"

"May I eat breakfast before I get started?"

"Fifteen minutes."

Maria laughed all the way to the dining room.


	22. Chapter 22

Maria laughed all the way to the dining room.

**A/N: Another chapter on a cold, snowy day! Enjoy.**

_Chapter Twenty-Two_

The week passed in a blur to Maria. The days were filled with song and teaching the children the puppet show they would be performing. The children were enthusiastic, but Maria couldn't help but wonder why she ever decided to perform such a complicated production. All day they stayed inside practicing, and at night Maria either stayed with Max, who was obviously becoming more and more frustrated by her unresponsiveness to his advances, then collapsed in bed in exhaustion.

The Captain noticed a change in Maria by Friday. The spark was still in her eye, but without the fresh air and rest, she seemed more subdued than usual. He decided to take matters into his own hands. He made his announcement at dinner that evening.

"Children," he started, Friday morning after everyone had finished eating. "What are your plans for today?"

"We'll probably be working on the puppet show again, father." Friedrich explained.

"If it is alright with Fraulein Maria, perhaps you could take the day off?"

Maria was ready for anything that would get her out of that puppet theater. "Of course. We've been working very hard, I think we deserve a break. What did you have in mind, Captain?"

"Not our lessons!" Brigitta chimed in, remembering the reason they had no homework lately.

The Captain laughed. "I promised that you would have no homework until after the party and I intend on keeping my promise. Now, how would you all like to go for a picnic in the mountains today? I haven't arranged any special 'field trip' outings like your Fraulein here, but time in the sun might be good for all of us."

The children quickly consented, and within the hour they were packed up and heading into the mountains.

"This was a wonderful idea, Captain" Maria leaned against their large picnic basket a couple hours later. The children had run off to play hide and seek, leaving Maria and the Captain alone together in the blazing sun. "It's too bad the Baroness and Max didn't want to come, I'm sure once they saw this beautiful view their dislike for nature and being outside would be altered immediately!"

"Not if I know Max." the Captain grinned. "He loves rainy days simply because they are an excuse to stay inside."

Maria laughed. "That certainly sounds like Max!

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the beauties of the Alps. Her eyes, as they always did on the mountain, shifted to the villa and she began to hum, and twiddle edelweiss between her thumb and forefinger.

The Captain, curious to know what caused this sudden burst of happiness, followed her gaze, and ended on his house.

"Fraulein Maria, not meaning to be rude, but is there a specific reason why you are gazing at my house as if it was the gates to Heaven?" the Captain asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Maria gave a small laugh, realizing where she was looking.

"When I used to come to this mountain, after getting away from my uncle, I used to always see your house…of course I didn't know whose house it was back then. I actually watched the construction team build it, checking every day from up here to see what had been finished. I always imagined a beautiful home could only contain a beautiful family. I hardly ever saw people outside after construction was completed; however, on my last trip to the mountain the evening before I entered the abbey, I saw a little girl roaming around the grounds. She was probably six, with long dark hair. Probably Brigitta? All I remember was that she was wearing a white dress with a blue satin sash tied around the waist, playing with a little boy, must have been Kurt. I remember thinking that they were the most fortunate children in the world – not because they lived in such a beautiful home, but because they had each other."

Something that Maria said triggered a memory, and it only took a moment for the Captain to put the pieces together.

"That song that you taught the children your first night…you mentioned white dresses and blue satin" he remembered aloud. She definitely had mentioned that combination because it had caused him to pause for a moment in the hallway before barging in on them.

"My own creation" she laughed.

"Sing it for me?" he asked playfully. "Last time, I seem to remember, I didn't get to hear the whole thing"

"Last time, I seem to remember, you scolded us all for bad behavior and encouraged me to find some discipline"

"Last time, I seem to remember, I was had not yet learned the wisdom in your words. Come now Maria, would you really deprive me of hearing a song you wrote about my children?"

Maria did not even realize the Captain had addressed her informally. There was nothing formal about their relationship anymore.

"It's not about them, they just get a brief passing nod." she tried.

Georg's puppy eyes got the better of her again.

"Very well" she sighed.

"You don't have to" the Captain was quick to respond. "You can say no to people."

"That's a skill I'm still working on. But in this case, I don't mind."

Without worrying about intonation, tone, phrasing or any of the musical techniques she drilled into her choir members, Maria lightheartedly sang through her personalized song, feeling her spirits become even brighter, if that was possible.

As she was singing, the Captain thought about what Maria had just told him. Mentally he was creating a timeline, and he realized that she must have seen the family a few months after Agathe had died. It's curious how something can look idealistic from the outside, but internally may be falling to pieces.

Determined not to allow these thoughts wreck the beautiful day, when Maria was finished, the Captain had her sing it again and again, until he had it memorized. Luckily for Maria's voice, he had an excellent retention speed.

The peacefulness of the mountains and her presence lulled the Captain into a light sleep. He could feel the heat radiating from the sun and from Maria's close body, and the smell of the blooming edelweiss and Maria's light perfume, and he felt for the first time since Agathe passed away, completely at peace and safe.

* * *

Meanwhile, the children had been playing tag in the grove of trees not far from Fraulein Maria and their father were seated. The sun was high in the sky, and Kurt could feel his stomach begin to rumble.

"Liesl, I'm hungry!" he complained for the fifth time in the past ten minutes. Liesl sighed, and remembered her father's request to be in charge whenever he or fraulein Maria was not around.

"Very well. Friedrich, would you please keep an eye on everyone while Kurt and I run back to the picnic basket to find something to eat?"

The two of them strolled back towards 'Fraulein Maria's Mountain' as they all called it, chatting together about not much of anything.

"Liesl," Kurt suddenly asked, "Why are Fraulein and Uncle Max dating? "

"She explained it. They both like music, and he makes her laugh" She answered slowly.

"But does she love him?"

"I don't know, Kurt. Probably, if they're together"

"Then why isn't Uncle Max here with her?"

"I don't know, Kurt" Liesl replied again, though the question had been bothering her as well.

As they reached the top of the hill, Liesl noticed Fraulein Maria and Father sleeping inches away from each other, and she was instantly reminded yet again that she needed to stop reading those romance novels she kept tucked under her mattress. They were making her see things that she knew did not exist, and could only hope for.

Maria began to stir from her slumber. Opening her eyes, she gasped at the closeness of the Captain. Her ears rang, as she realized she was being watched. Jumping up as quietly as possible, she smoothed her dress and hair, and walked over to where Liesl and Kurt were trying to look busy.

"I…erm…fell asleep. Are you hungry Kurt?" she asked, hoping to avoid Liesl's questions, and divert her mind. A noise caused the three of them to turn. Running up the hill was Friedrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl lagging a few steps behind.

"We decided we were hungry as well, and thought that it might be time for lunch!" Louisa gasped, trying to catch her breath.

Maria glanced at her watch. "It's noon. You may eat your lunch now, or wait for your father to wake. It's your choice." Seeing the pained look on Kurt's face she laughed. "Very well. There are sandwiches, juice, fruit and dessert in the picnic basket. Help yourselves!"

Twelve hands all dove into the picnic basket. Only Brigitta remained standing still, looking at Maria with a thoughtful expression on her face. "Why aren't you eating, Fraulein?" she asked.

"I thought I would wait for your father to wake up, so he wouldn't have to eat alone." Maria smiled at her. "Go on and eat, Brigitta, so you can run off and play."

Brigitta, unsure what to believe walked towards the picnic basket and picked out a red apple, shining it on her dress. She eyed her governess carefully, also keeping one eye on her father. She internally cursed Liesl for recounting every detail of her trashy novels, as they were clearly affecting her better judgment.


	23. Chapter 23

detail of her trashy novels, as they were clearly affecting her better judgment.

_Chapter Twenty-Three_

Supper was later that night, as Max and Elsa returned late from town where they had been "wrapped up planning the party all afternoon". The children were exhausted, and Maria softly joked with Friedrich and Louisa that they were getting soft from spending so much time indoors.

Unlike the children, Maria felt more alive and awake than she had in a long time thanks to the fresh air, and decided she should be social and spend some time with Max, with whom she had not spent much time with in several days.

She was pleased to see him sitting alone in the sitting room, staring off into space, so deep in thought that he evidently did not hear her enter.

"Care for some company?" she asked, causing Max to spin around so fast he sloshed the water he had been drinking all over the couch.

"Oh, Maria it's you!" he exclaimed.

"Who were you expecting?" she laughed, sitting down beside him while carefully avoiding the wet spot.

"I just didn't think you'd be coming down again tonight. I am overjoyed to have been incorrect."

"I apologize for my absence this week. The children are very busy preparing their show for you, and we have been preparing a little surprise for the night of the ball as well!" The mischievousness in Maria's eyes caught Max's attention, and he demanded more details.

Maria was right in the middle of her explanation, when a creaking board announced someone else's entrance into the room.

The Baroness looked shocked to see that the room was already occupied.

"Good evening, Elsa" Max greeted her.

"Good evening Max, Fraulein Maria. I apologize for intruding" she spoke in a very cool and detached manner.

"Not at all Baroness Schroeder. Please join us," Maria invited, not wanted to chase anyone away.

"Might there be room for a fourth?" the Captain asked as he too entered the room. Out of the corner of her eye Maria saw Max roll his eyes, but she let it pass.

"Georg!" the Baroness greeted him, surprise in her voice. "I had thought you had retired for the evening."

The Captain and Baroness were soon seated in two comfortable black chairs, as Elsa prattled on about a trip to Italy that she was planning for the upcoming Christmas.

"The Vatican puts on such a lovely Christmas Day mass" she gushed. "St. Peter's Basilica is simply stunning with the tall pillars decorated in gold. And Michelangelo's work cannot be compared to any other artist through time. There were actually people crying in the Sistine Chapel on my last visit - can you imagine such a display? Have you ever been to Rome, Maria?"

Maria was surprised at the attention, and quickly responded "I'm afraid I have never been out of Salzburg. We never took any holidays when I was young, and I'm afraid nuns are quite the sedentary bunch."

The other three parties in the room were all surprised at her statement; however, some hid it better than others.

"Never left Salzburg? Didn't your governess ever take you to the Louvre in Paris, the Duomo of Florence, or the Parthenon in Athens?"

Maria opened her mouth to respond, but the Captain beat her to it.

"Come now Elsa, just scribbles on parchment, a large empty building and some ruins. Doesn't live up to the hype. Tell us what is left to do with the party planning."

As Elsa started in on her current favourite subject, Maria smiled thankfully at the Captain who had 'saved her' again, and a similar grin was returned.

Seeing her exchange, a wave of jealousy surprised Max and he not-so subtly moved closer to Maria on the couch and began tracing patterns on her bare knee exposed beneath the skirt of her dress.

Maria squirmed as each touch tickled uncomfortably and took Max's hands between hers and held it there firmly. Thinking she wanted to hold hands Max was appeased.

This silent exchange did not go unnoticed by the Captain. He had heard nothing but party planning for days and was quite sickened by the subject, so rather than listen to Elsa's prattling he focused instead on the couple across for him. Unfortunately this did nothing more than worsen the pounding in his head that consistently began when the four of them were alone in a room, and seeing the hand of his governess entwined with the hand of his best friend only added to his discomfort. That he worried about their relationship could not be denied though the specific etiology of his anxiety remained a bit of a mystery.

After an extensive one-sided discussion on the value of spending an extra few dollars on having the servers wear black bowties instead of the standard white, the Captain finally stood and stretched.

"I believe it is time we all retired. I'll walk you to your room, Elsa. Lots of planning for tomorrow." He didn't dare turn back to meet the eye of the governess, knowing their simultaneous eye roll would not go unnoticed.

* * *

The next morning was grey and rainy, and in her prayers Maria included thanks for the Captain's picnic the day before.

As the ten sat down to breakfast, as Elsa was naturally still in bed, Maria turned to the smiling children. "Are you ready to practice our show and our little surprise after breakfast? We still have a lot to do before we will be ready to perform it in less than one week!"

"What, _little surprise?_" asked the Captain cautiously, wondering what Fraulein Maria had up her sleeve now.

"It's meant to be a secret between the children and me." She replied smirking, obviously remembering the 'precious gift' incident. "Right children?"

They all grinned, proud to be in on the secret.

The Captain tried his best to not to scowl at Max, who was smirking like a schoolboy. He obviously was in on the secret as well.

"All right, children! No dawdling, we took yesterday off an there's work to be done!" the children all moved towards the golden room. As soon as they were out of earshot Max turned to the Captain.

"She certainly is a hard worker" he commented lightly, immediately raising the Captain's suspicions. Max didn't offer compliments unless he had an ulterior motive.

"She is wonderful with the children, and seems very committed to them, yes."

"With all the hours she puts in, she must be exhausted"

"There is not the slightest hint of doubt in my mind she would be the first to express her discontent. She certainly has never held back on letting me know what she thought of me in the past."

"But only for the children's good. She would never complain to benefit herself"

"What is it that you are hoping for, Max?"

"A 24-hour pass"

"You are free to go whenever you feel so inclined. I'm sure the kitchen staff would be happy for the reprieve"

"Do not be ridiculous. For Maria of course."

"And what exactly do you plan on doing with my governess for 24 hours Max? When you respond, please keep in mind this is Maria we are talking about, not some socialite with no scruples. I doubt even your charms would break her convictions."

"Georg you flatter me"

"How clumsy of me. I meant to accuse you"

"I want to take her somewhere tomorrow. We'd have to leave early…much earlier than even you and the children usually awaken. It's a bit of a drive. I'd have her back to you late tomorrow night, all scruples intact."

"Where are you taking her?"

The Captain couldn't believe his ears as Max described his plans for the following day. It so was completely out of character for the man to do something for somebody else, and this was quite the plan. He knew instantaneously that Maria would be shocked, and have an amazing time.

"It sounds like it is all arranged." He finally responded. "But Max, if I may offer a suggestion, tomorrow is Sunday."

"So?"

The Captain quickly outlined a small addition to the day's itinerary and Max quickly agreed that it would be something very meaningful to Maria.

"Thank you Georg. Please don't mention anything to her, I want it to be a surprise. And don't worry, I'll take good care of her."

"Scruples and all" the Captain called after Max's retreating figure with his head pounding as strongly as ever.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: And so we arrive at the first segment of Max's surprise for Maria. I'm sure the many Maria/Georg fans won't love this too much, but I wanted to showcase some qualities of Max and honestly just explore a little of this absolutely gorgeous part of the world. It will be a multi-segment adventure! Enjoy!**

_Chapter Twenty-Four_

The clock was striking 5am when Max, already fully dressed and packed for the day's activities, snuck past the children's bedrooms towards the room reserved for the governess.

Without knocking he quietly opened the door, and allowed himself to stare freely at the sleeping form in front of him.

The moon was still high, and its light reflected off Maria's pale skin, giving her an ethereal-like appearance. She looked so peaceful while she slept; all traces of the defiance and energy that filled her face during the day was gone.

He allowed himself a minute longer to stare at her perfect figure – the rises and falls of her shape under the thin white sheet was hypnotizing him, and he felt it difficult to pull his eyes away.

Like a man in a dream, he made his way to her, and sat down on the bed beside her. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he bent down and kissed her on the lips.

"Maria darling" he whispered "it is time to get up."

Maria's eyes flashed open at the sound of a man's voice in her bedroom, and she instinctively reached for the sheets and pulled them up to her chest.

"Max!" she hissed "What are you doing here?"

"I came to wake you" he responded with a smile at her innocence. "Georg agreed to give you the day off, and I have a busy day planned for us."

The words didn't make sense in Maria's sleepy brain, but they did register visual stimuli – specifically the clock on her bedside

"It's five in the morning!" she gasped.

"We have a bit of a drive ahead of us" he admitted sheepishly "so the sooner you get up, the sooner we can get going."

"But Max, it is Sunday…" she mumbled still half asleep. Every Sunday morning she had been attending the early service at a nearby church, and then returning to the villa to wake the children. She had been hoping that with her Bible readings some evenings, the children would one day come with her to mass.

"Yes, the day of rest. And fittingly you will not be working." Max repeated. "But you really must get up right away."

With a groan Maria rolled over and brought herself into a sitting position.

"I will meet you downstairs in ten minutes?" she asked pointedly, as Max laughed and left.

Ten minutes! He could hardly believe it. It took Elsa minimum three quarters of an hour to get ready for the day, and this was the timeline that he had prepared for. Fortune seemed to be on his side this morning.

Indeed, eight minutes later Maria was descending the stairs in a plain pale yellow A-line dress. It was a simple dress, but the beauty of it was in this simplicity and made her hair shine even in the dusk.

"You look beautiful my dear" Max offered her his arm, which she took without a second thought.

"Where are we going at such an early hour?" she asked, as he led her away from the villa and towards the parked car.

"If I told you that would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it?"

"Are you driving?" she questioned, realizing that Franz was not present.

"This trip is just for the two of us" Max responded simply, opening the passenger door for Maria to climb in.

"Now" he announced as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Get some sleep. We have a busy day and you'll need your energy."

He handed her a blanket that he had stored in the backseat the night before.

Still sleepy, and not quite registering what was going on, Maria obliged and rested her head against the window, snuggled deep into the blanket.

As Max drove, he kept one eye on the road and the other on the sleeping figure beside him. The realization that he may in fact be the luckiest man in Salzburg was foremost in his mind. Maria made him question everything he believed in and doubt his own decisions and values, yet when he was with her, no matter what sins he may have committed, he felt at peace.

The sun had risen three hours later when Maria's eyes finally began to flutter open.

"Good afternoon!" Max joked as Maria took in her surroundings, and quickly remembered the events of earlier that morning.

"Eight-thirty already! I cannot believe I slept so long. And we're still driving…where are we Max?"

"You will find out in about fifteen minutes. Everything is working out perfectly; we're going to be exactly on time"

"On time for what?"

"You really are too much like Georg sometimes – so very suspicious. It's a surprise"

Sure enough five minutes later, as Maria was busying herself folding the blanket neatly and placing it in the backseat, their final destination came into vision. When she turned back around she gasped at the view of the immense city in front of her.

"Where are we?" she exclaimed again, just as a street sign whizzed past. Vienna: 10 km.

"Vienna?" she gasped. "How…why…?"

"I couldn't have you never having seen the most magnificent city in Europe" Max announced matter-of-factly.

"You brought me to Vienna" she breathed, her eyes unable to take in all the sights of the vibrant and busy city at once.

Cars flew by, tall buildings loomed above, and people bustled about, and it was still early in the morning! The entire city was so filled with life, and Maria was desperate to be a part of it.

She was practically bouncing by the time Max pulled the car into a parking lot.

Without explaining where they were going, he hastened around the car to open Maria's door. She gasped at their destination.

"Before we start our activities, I thought that you would appreciate a detour."

Maria could hardly breathe as he led her up the steps to the legendary St. Stephen's Cathedral. The bells were tolling nine o'clock. He had gotten her there in time for morning mass.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Part 2/4 of Maria and Max's day in Vienna! Hopefully this chapter will offer some insight into the Captain. Enjoy!**

**_Chapter Twenty-Five_**

They had arrived right on time, as the opening hymn began moments after they took their seats. As the familiar song began to play, Maria racked her brain for any facts she knew about this building. The church had been built on an ancient cemetery dating back to the times of Ancient Rome, and had been dedicated back in 1147 to St. Stephen as well as to the nobles who were about to embark on the second crusade…

As the two sat in their pews within the main part of the church, Maria's gaze wouldn't settle –the High Alter made of marble from across Europe, which she knew represented the stoning of St. Stephen, with the saints watching as Christ waiting for the ascension of the martyr… the Altar of Wiener Neustadt with its panels open for the mass depicting the life of the Virgin Mary in intricately carved wooden figures…

"Maria" Max whispered in her ear "You should sing along my darling. Grace these Viennese parishioners with you beautiful voice."

Maria, unable to ever resist the invitation to sing, immediately obliged. No songbook was required –she knew the words, and the melody flowed freely over her tongue, and was lost in the high vaulted ceilings and intricately carved wood-workings.

The song ended too quickly for her likings, and the service began.

Though the readings were presented eloquently something felt out of place. As much as she refused to acknowledge it, she recognized it was the man standing next to her. As fond as she was of Max, being with him in this setting caused her unease. Max had no part in her spiritual life – after everything he had said in the restaurant that night, standing in the presence of the Lord, in His house, with Max somehow felt very wrong.

Despite this unease, Maria forced herself to forget about her company, and instead allowed herself to become completely engrossed in the service. Once she got over her discomfort, mass inside the ancient relic, the Archdiocese of Vienna, was an indescribable experience for Maria. She listened in awe at the 42-head boys' choir performance of the psalms, and listened with rapt attention to the bishop's sermon, this week about forgiveness. The feelings of holiness rushing through her veins reminded her of how she felt the first time she watched the nuns over the abbey wall and listened to their singing coming from the chapel.

Two hours later, when mass ended Maria couldn't stop talking about the church, the service, the sermon...

Max laughed at her enthusiasm, pleased that she had loved their first stop as much as he had hoped she would. The mass had been, in his opinion, much too long winded, but he had contented himself by counting the number of bald heads in the congregation, and devising manners to convince some of the choirs he had promoted in the past to perform in this location – the profit margin would be enormous.

Once they had left the chapel, Max followed Maria as she explored the many sights inside the church. The sculpture of "Christ with a Toothache" and the catacombs including the tomb of the Emperor Frederick II held her particular attention. She paused in front of the Maria Pötsch Icon and explained to Max how this image of St. Mary with baby Jesus was such an important piece to the church, as twice Mary has been seen shedding real tears.

Much to her disappointment, two hours later Max announced that it was already one o'clock and they had to be moving on.

Outside the church Maria took a last long look at the combination of romanesque and gothic architecture built of limestone. The sight of the roof, tiled in a multi-coloured pattern, and the extreme difference in the heights of the north and south towers brought a smile to her face, as she was again reminded how it is the imperfections in life that make things perfect.

Once in the car, Maria placed her hand on Max's.

"Thank you so much, Max. That was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, and I am speechless."

"I never thought I would see the day"

The two of them laughed, and the solemn mood that had been created by the mass dissipated.

The drive to their next destination took less than five minutes, and Maria noted that it took longer for Max to find a parking spot than it would have taken them to walk from the cathedral.

"Lunch" Max announced with a smile as he placed a hand on the small of Maria's back and guided her into the small Viennese café.

As Maria had come to expect, the maître d' recognized Max as soon as they entered, and though there was a long line-up for a late-lunch, within ten minutes they were seated, each with a glass of Heuriger Spritzer in front of them, and the order already on its way to the kitchen.

"Max?" Maria asked once the waiter had left them.

"Yes darling?"

"How did you come up with this plan? And convince the Captain to give me another day off, especially so close to the Baroness's ball?"

"Georg was easily convinced – I am quite sure he would agree to give you almost anything after what you've done for his family. I haven't seen the children this happy since before Agathe got sick …Georg either. Even when Agathe was alive, well maybe it was because he was still in the navy and was rarely home with the children, he wasn't as playful or lighthearted as he is now."

"He is a very strong man, to be able to change after so many years of strictness and order."

"I didn't think he would ever heal, to be honest. I had almost given up hope on him and Elsa…

"I realize it is none of my business, but may I ask how they met?"

"Elsa and I are old friends – we actually met at Georg and Agathe's wedding strangely enough, she was the date of one of Agathe's friends from Berlin. We stayed in touch and I saw her whenever I was in Germany for music festivals. She ended up marrying into a great deal of money up there in Berlin; however, the poor Herr Schraeder was not well and only three years into their marriage he died. I, naturally, felt terribly with her up in Berlin by herself, and helped her move down here to Vienna where she was already well-acquainted with the socialites. Needless to say she fit in perfectly and has made quite a name for herself."

"And the Captain?"

"After Agathe's death, Georg went catatonic for almost six months. He would not speak to anybody – not his children nor his friends. Day after day he wasted away in his study, trying to lose himself in a novel or staring blindly into space. Everything that reminded him of Agathe was strictly contraband – no music, no laughter, no religion, no games. I am no psychologist, but I would venture that Georg returned to his persona where he felt the least emotions – naval captain. You must have seen what things were like when you arrived – whistles and orders. Anyways, just over six months ago I couldn't stand it any longer – the rumors of his change had reached Vienna and I could not bear my friend to be the end of such talk. I convinced him to join me in Vienna, and erm…Elsa showed up at my place one evening."

"And it was love at first sight?"

Max laughed at her naiveté.

"Not at all. Elsa is not the type to chase after brooding men, and Georg was unable to see anything past his own misery. After he retired for the evening, I stayed up and spoke with Elsa for a great long time about Georg's history, and his good qualities."

"And the rest is history?"

"History in the making. Their story isn't finished yet. Now shhh."

The waiter had arrived with their meals. Maria nodded, understanding the importance of confidentiality in discussions such as this.

All conversation stopped as Max shoveled down his chicken-with-rice as though he had never seen food before. Maria politely picked at the rice, her stomach not hungry after the story Max was in the process of telling. The Captain's sorrows could very well have been her own for the pity and sadness she felt for what he had gone through.

Max was finished in what must have been a record time, and to Maria's surprise he declined dessert, instead dropping some money on the table, and they were off.

"What's the rush?" she asked as they sped-walked down the street towards where Max had left the car. It was her normal walking pace, but she could tell that Max was straining himself.

"It is already two o'clock, and there is somewhere I wanted to take you…before I have to take you somewhere else."

"Well that doesn't sound at all cryptic" Maria joked as she allowed herself to slide onto the leather seat, burning hot from having been sitting in the sun.

"Not to worry, it is very close to the next destination"

Maria couldn't help but sigh slightly. She was not the type of person who enjoyed sticking by a very strict schedule – her time at the von Trapp villa had proven time and time again that she was incapable of being on time for anything.

The streets of Vienna flew by before her eyes, and Maria was momentarily disappointed she would not have time to see more of this beautiful city. Finally Max pulled into a parking space near a wide-open park.

"Stadtpark" Max announced. "I'm afraid we can't spend much time here, but I thought you might like to go for a walk after sitting in church and then eating a large lunch."

"That sounds wonderful" Maria admitted, thoroughly surprised that he would suggest an outdoors activity.

The park was, Maria had to admit, magnificent. The flowers bloomed a bright red against the lush green grasses and perfectly shaped trees. Though Maria was partial to the "wild-outdoors", the trees, flower and grasses that could be found out on the Alps that grew as nature intended, the beauty was undeniable, and the entire area smelled of flowers.

There was a circular path encircling the path, and Maria and Max leisurely walked hand-in-hand around the circumference, talking about this and that. They stopped to admire a monument to Johann Strauss II, surrounded by white flowers. By his encouragement, Maria hummed a few lines of a couple Strauss tunes, and in response Max picked one of the flowers and gently placed it behind her ear.

It was a Sunday afternoon, so the park was bustling with people, much to Max's chagrin. He had hoped to spend some time alone with Maria. They were soon three-quarter's way around the park, when Max took a side-path that led them away from the greenery and into a business area.

"Now comes the best part of the day" Max announced grandly.

Maria couldn't imagine what could possible top mass at the St. Stephen's cathedral, so she waited in anticipation for him to continue.

"Where we are going tonight requires you to be dressed a little more…formally. I have already phoned ahead and am certain that you will be well taken-care of"

"Max, what…?" Maria stammered.

"Shopping, Maria. Breathe." He laughed at her terrified expression. "I am going to leave you here at this boutique – they will do everything for you. A dress, hair, makeup…all you have to do is follow their directions. We have to be on our way by five-thirty, so you have two hours. I realize how little time this gives you, and I do apologize. I will see you then!"

And then without another word Max was out the door, leaving an overwhelmed and frustrated Maria. She was in the city she had dreamed so many times of visiting, and she would have to waste two hours stuck in a dress store? The thought alone was appalling, and she had half a mind to leave immediately and return five minutes before Max was to pick her up. Unfortunately for her and her plans, the two women Max had charged with her care were already surrounding her, one with a tape measure around Maria's waist and the other looking pitifully at Maria's short hair.

Maria knew something about time passing slowly – she had after all spent many years in an abbey weeding the gardens and scrubbing the tiles. That had been nothing compared to this. She had been pinched, prodded, scrubbed and plucked so much her entire skin was sore. Her hair had been brushed and teased for so long that she was certain almost half of it must have been pulled out, and she could only guess her face must look like a mask from all the makeup they had caked on. Throughout the entire procedure she had not been permitted to look in a mirror.

The final step, an hour and three-quarters later, was to pull on what Maria had to admit, was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. Cream-coloured, it fit perfectly to her delicate form until it reached her waist where it twisted elegantly before it flared, resting just above the ground. Short sheer sleeves came off the modest neckline and covered her shoulders.

When Maria turned to look at herself in the mirror of the changing room, she could not believe the person staring back at her. She had never thought of herself as ugly, but she was certainly no beauty - just plain Maria. But the woman that stared back at her was anything but plain – the deep brown shades around her eyes, with the dark lashes made her eyes look huge on her face, only rivaled by her lips that were darkened as well. Her hair shone even in the dull lighting of the shop, and pieces from her face were pulled back on either side with braids that met at the back of her head, preventing any hair from falling in her face. She had vetoed the spiked heels the women had tried to choose for her that would have made her a head taller than Max, choosing instead a modest heel that was elegant without being outrageous.

While still staring unbelievingly at herself in the mirror of the changing room, she heard the bell on the door chime and Max's cheerful greeting.

The women must have told him where she was, as there was soon a knock on the door.

"Are you almost ready? The car is illegally parked outside, and we are running terribly la-"

The sight of Maria, as she opened the door, halted every thought in Max's head. She was stunning. Breathtaking. Gorgeous.

He told her so.

The blush that came to her cheeks, mostly hidden under the cakes of makeup, only added to her beauty. He told her so.

Her eyes shifted to the floor as she gave credit to the two women who had been helping her.

He offered her his arm, and she took it.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Part three of four! If you get an opportunity, I highly recommend looking up this location - it is stunning! Thank you to everyone who is leaving me reviews - I appreciate it so much!**

**_Chapter Twenty-Six_**

Despite Max's prior insistence that they would be 'terribly late', they managed to make it to their final destination by six o'clock, right on time for his final surprise of the day.

Handing his keys to the valet, he helped Maria out of the car, again marveling at her beauty and mentally congratulating him for the excellent decision that was this day.

"Where are we?" Maria whispered, trying to take in her surroundings, and reminding Max that he was not with his normal "genre" of date.

"This is the Hofburg Palace."

"This is magnificent"

"As it should be. In the 15th to 19th century it was the seat of the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and then the seat of the Emperor of Austria until the end of the Great War. This is the birthplace of Marie Antoinette"

Maria's neck strained as she tried to look up to the top of the white building, taking in the large marble statues, the vaulted windows, and the light blue dome on top of the building decorated in gold.

"Do try not to stare my dear, it draws attention to you."

Maria swallowed the lump in her throat, took a deep breath, then allowed herself to be guided into the wide doors. Inside, a large group of boys were singing as people made their way down the hallways. She was later informed that it was the famed Vienna boys' choir. They were wonderful and she would have loved to stay and listen to them, but she would have bet her dress, which probably cost more money than the abbey took in over an entire month, that Max did not see or hear them. When he got his mind set on being somewhere or doing something, she knew, the rest of the world went dark to him. Tunnel-vision, she believed they called it.

"Welcome to the _Redoutensaele_. I believe you'll appreciate this – this was the place of the premier of both Beethoven's 8th Symphony and Shubert's _Die Unvollendete_. Other musicians who played here include Strauss, Haydn, paganini, Liszt, and Mozart."

Maria barely heard Max, too busy admiring the splendor, without realizing how perfectly her dress made her fit in. The walls of this former opera house were painted the same cream as her dress, accented with a golden-brown, adored with golden trim. The seats that normally occupy the entire ground floor had been cleared, revealing a fine ballroom floor, polished to a shine. The lighting from the hanging chandeliers was low, giving the entire room a comfortable air. An orchestra, with well over 25 men, were set up at the front of the room on the low stage, and Maria recognized Chopin's Etude in C minor.

What must have been hundreds of people were milling about on the dance floor, swaths of colours and subdued chatter, expensive perfumes and colognes.

"It's a private party, so there won't be as many people as the larger balls have" Max explained as though it was the most natural topic. "Normally the balls are on Saturday evenings rather than Sunday; however, luckily for us, there this hall was booked every Saturday until Christmas so the hosts had to settle for a Sunday. Most people here are independently wealthy, so the day of the week doesn't really make a difference to them."

Maria gulped. That was not the news that she needed.

"Come" Max gestured. "Dinner is going to be served up on the second floor while the Vienna Staatsopera will be preforming. If we get up there quickly enough, we can make sure we get good seats."

In all truthfulness, Max just wanted Maria to get away from everyone – her beauty was outstanding and he was proud to have her on his arm, and hoped that people would recognize this; however, should she mention her employment he was certain that he would never overcome the humiliation of courting the help. No, it was best that she be seen but not heard that evening.

If Maria could have read her date's thoughts, she probably would have agreed with Max's plans for her interactions with the guests – she was not by nature an intimidated person; however, whenever she was with Max it seemed that her fear of embarrassing him or herself grew exponentially. And really, what did she have in common with these people that could be discussed anyways?

As the couple waited for dinner, a groups of professional dancers performed the Viennese waltz on the dance floor below. Maria was on the edge of her seat, halfway lying across the table trying to get a better look at the show below. The brightly coloured flowing material swirled around, creating patterns against the creamy-white walls. Maria had often times heard dancers referred to as "floating on air" but she had never seen this embodied until she saw these dancers. Their grace and poise was unexcelled, as the gentlemen in perfect synchrony dipped their partners into a waltz pose.

Dinner was served surprisingly quickly considering the number of people that had to be seated. The hosts, whose identity Maria had yet to determine, had chosen a traditional Viennese menu: Wiener Schnitzel and Tafelspitz served with Geröstete Erdäpfel drenched in Schittlauchsauce. Ten bites into her meal, Maria was already full of the rich food, but she was certain that Max would be able to finish her plate. Maria wondered briefly when Max would return – after finishing his meal at a pace that could not be rivaled, he had muttered something about customary greetings, and left her to finish her meal alone. She didn't mind the solitude, content to watch in wonder the colourful dresses move expertly across the floow.

"It's a lot of heavy food, isn't it?" an elderly woman dressed in a dress of deep burgundy surprised Maria by taking the seat across from her. Aside from Max, she had spoken to no one since their arrival. With a discrete look to either side to make sure it was her that was being addressed, Maria responded with a smile.

"It's delicious, but a little too much for me I'm afraid"

"I constantly wonder why the hosts of these gallant events choose such a heavy meal when most women are in skin tight dresses. Seems poorly thought out in my opinion, but what do I know? I don't believe we've met my dear. I'm Anita Schiegl" the woman offered her hand, which Maria readily accepted, surprised at her chattiness. No one else in the room had offered even a smile or hello.

"Maria Rainer"

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I apologize, but I do not recognize you from other gatherings this year. I usually pride myself on knowing all the guests at these events, and I would be very surprised if I forgot a beautiful face like yours."

"You are very kind Frau Schiegl, and also correct. This is my first time visiting Vienna."

"First time! Oh how do you like our beautiful city?"

"I'm afraid I didn't get the opportunity to spend much time about the city; however, from what I saw, it is awe-inspiring. The history and culture are rich, the ancient architecture breathtaking, and the people very kind and welcoming."

"I am so pleased to hear that. May I ask where you are from?"

"From Salzburg, ma'am"

"Salzburg! And you have never been to Vienna?"

"No, I have never had the opportunity, though after seeing it once, I am certain that I will have to return."

"Oh but you must! The Opera Ball and Kaffeesierball have passed, but there will be more private balls coming up in the near future."

"Just being surrounded with a city so full of music and culture is the most exhilarating experience. Though I've only seen a bit of your city, it is easy to see how so many prodigal musicians were inspired here. When I think about the fathers of 'classical music' that walked these streets - Mozart, Beethoven, Shubert, Brahms, Mahler, Haydn – I am so humbled." Maria was practically glowing as she spoke about a topic she adored. She was surprised with herself; she hadn't thought she would find a friend at the party.

"If you are a music aficionado, the New Year Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic in collaboration with the Vienna State Opera Ballet cannot be missed, and any production at the Burgtheater is well worth the money."

"I will have to keep that in mind if I ever get the opportunity to return."

"Opportunity? My child, Vienna and Salzburg are not that far apart."

"That's true; however, my job keeps me quite occupied."

"And what is it that a bright young thing like you does for a living?" Frau Schiegl was genuinely surprised that this woman she was growing increasingly fond of had a job – probably one of the only females in the room with one – and it made the young woman all the more interesting.

"Currently I am a governess." Maria responded, certain that this was not the time or place to be discussing her ideas of a future in a habit.

"In Salzburg? For whom?"

"Captain von Trapp." Maria answered, confident that this woman, who seemed to know everybody who was anybody, would have at least met the Captain.

"Just little you against those seven children? My dear, you are a brave woman." Clearly she knew the family, or at least of them, quite well.

"Not at all Frau Schiegl – they're truly wonderful. So full of life and joy, and they inherited their father's intelligence which is a true gift when it's used for good, though gives them a Machiavellian cunning for planning tricks on others!"

The two women laughed together.

"And how is Georg? I haven't had the opportunity to see him in far too long."

"He is well; I believe the Baroness has helped him a great deal in finding some happiness." Maria responded.

Frau Schiegl was surprised at the young woman's response – she had a difficult time believing that Elsa would help somebody else find anything that she could not take for herself.

"Perhaps…" she answered carefully. "He needs some joy in his life. I suppose I always hoped that he would end up with a 'true' woman."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand" said Maria in confusion.

"A true woman: one with a pure heart, uncomplicated intentions, interests that span beyond the realms of high society, and just a touch of innocent mischief."

"Sounds a little bit like Anne of Green Gables. It's a Canadian book – trust me, you don't want to know how I learned this. Who is it that we are talking about, Anita? She sounds frightfully dull." Max had finally returned, and taking his seat next to Maria he gracefully slipped his arm around her waist.

"Max" the older woman nodded in his direction, trying in vain to hide her surprise and distaste. "It is nice to see you too."

Max didn't respond.

"And actually I believe that many of these qualities are embodied by this fine young woman that you have just grabbed, quite roughly if I may add, around the waist." Maria's face was burning and she smiled slightly at the woman in thanks for the compliment.

"Oh Anita how I have missed your charm" responded Max, and Maria watched.

"Yes Max, it really has been too long" the sarcasm was almost palpable.

"I suppose that's a matter of opinion" he countered. "I have been spending time with Georg in Salzburg."

"That must be where you met this lovely young lady" Frau Schiegl's genuine smile suddenly returned, and the mood shifted back to a feeling of normalcy. "She is wonderful Max. Perhaps that explains my surprise that she is your guest. Regardless, do tell me how you met."

A warning look from Max quenched any thought of Maria's to speak up.

"She was a singer I had been considering promoting for the festival this year. Unfortunate incidences impeded such a relationship; however, much to my pleasure, she has agreed to a more intimate one."

Maria felt slightly dizzy at the possible implications that this woman could take from Max's description, and her knee began to bounce from nerves.

"Well that doesn't surprise me in the least. However Max, I must say, I am terribly impressed with your choice. She is not your usual type at all – much to smart and polite."

Maria suddenly felt terribly uncomfortable in her own skin, and had to mentally plant her feet into the floor to keep from leaving what was suddenly a very unpleasant conversation. Her knee continued to bounce.

"Perhaps I just did not recognize my true desires until now" Max's answer this time was noticeably cool. He placed a hand on Maria's knee to settle the jitter.

"Your desires have always been clear, Max, and well publicized. How is Elsa?" Frau Schiegle's eyebrows were practically embedded in her hairline they were raised so highly.

Maria was having a difficult time following the conversation, where the innuendos were lost and the topics changing rapidly. She tried her best to keep a neutral face as her eyes tried to follow the conversation, much like watching a ping pong match. Giving up, she shifted her gaze to where her fingers were playing with the edge of the tablecloth.

"Elsa is doing well. As you well know from the invitation you undoubtedly received, she is planning a ball for next weekend up in Salzburg. Naturally I had no say in the invitation list."

Maria felt like pinching Max under the table for his obvious rudeness, but kept her fingers to herself.

"Lucky for you I will be out of country. Though was under the impression the ball was being hosted by Georg" Frau Schiegl pushed.

"Elsa is unrivaled in event planning. Georg would be foolish not to benefit from her abilities."

"I am sure he is not the only one in that household…benefitting from her abilities."

"If you mean the children, yes they are very excited for their first ball as well."

"Don't push me, Max."

Much to Maria's relief, the Staatsopera company finished their concerto, the clock chimed eight and the maestro announced that the floor was now open for dancing.

Frau Schiegle stood and faced the couple.

"Maria, it was a true pleasure meeting you, and I hope we will be able to continue our conversation soon. Max, take care and I pray that you recognize the rarity and value of what you have. Despite our differences, I truly am happy for you. It has taken you many years, but you have finally chosen correctly. Good evening to you both"

And with a swish of burgundy, the woman was gone.

Maria turned to look at Max who, to her surprise, had his eyes downcast.

"What was that about?" she asked in a quieted tone.

"Frau Schiegle is an old acquaintance who is unable to see past the foolishness of my youth." Max replied, though the redness of his ears hinted to Maria that there was a deeper truth. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. It would take a months to realize later could never come for a man who refused to look to the past for guidance in the future.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: The final part of the Vienna adventure! Enjoy :)**

**_Chapter Twenty-Seven_**

"Come. Let's dance," Max offered Maria his hand later that evening.

"Oh I couldn't possibly!" Maria exclaimed, startled by his sudden offer. She had been sitting quietly for some time while Max visited with old friends.

"Come now my dear, we are at a ball. Of course we will dance."

"After those incredible professionals? Max, I have not danced since I was a little girl."

"Then it is high time that you started again."

"Must we dance in front of all these people?" This was, of course, the root of the problem. These people went to countless balls over a year, and Maria was wise enough to know that one's ability to dance corresponded highly with social status. She had no desire on climbing the social ladder, so to speak, but she had no intention of publically humiliating herself either.

"It is like riding a bike, Maria. Please."

With a resigned sigh Maria took the offered hand, and allowed herself to be led down the stairs and onto the still sparsely occupied dance floor.

She felt Max's very warm hand on her waist, and placed her cool one on his shoulder. Hot met cold as their other hands met, and they were off across the dance floor to the quick tempo of a Valse by Chopin.

Maria had to give Max credit, he was correct that the dancing would come back to her quickly. In minutes she had forgotten her audience and was spinning around the floor. Much like her singing she had no professional training yet her skills were impeccable, and she enjoyed deviating from the generic steps to add her own "flair".

For Max, this was problematic. Not naturally skilled, he had learned to dance from hours of instruction. The perfect partner for any socialite, he found it exceptionally difficult to keep up with Maria, and he was exceedingly uncomfortable as she added spins and steps that he had never seen before, not knowing how to respond.

Maria soon realized that her personalization of the traditional ballroom dances was not well received by her partner, as evidenced her toes that were sure to be black and blue in the morning. With resignation, she molded her steps to fit the pattern of Max's, following his lead entirely. Like the monkeys they had seen in the zoo, the two of them were soon mimicking the movements of the other dancers on the floor, the entire conglomeration moving as a single unit.

Two waltzes, a foxtrot and a quickstep later, Max's feet were sore and he guided Maria off the dance floor. He led her towards an area of the room where small round tables had been set out, and people were enjoying their drink while mingling.

"Champagne darling?" Max asked, as he led Maria to the bar.

"Just water would be fine" Maria argued, but to no avail as the bartender was already pouring her drink.

"Rule number one - with this company, it's either champagne or something stronger" Max explained, handing her the flute. Maria was about to argue that she was certain the hosts, who had opted for an open bar, would have no problems with her drinking water, but recognizing the futility in arguing with Max she accepted the drink.

The two made their way to an empty table, and sat next to each other.

"Shouldn't we be conversing with others?" Maria asked, puzzled by Max's apparent social alienation.

"Rule number two – let others come to you. It gives you the power in the relationship."

"Does that really work?"

"Only when one is with a beautiful woman such as yourself."

"Max, really."

"Rule number three – accept compliments. It shows that confidence. Humility has no place in high society. Now Maria – people are going to be asking about where we met, how long we've been together, what are our intentions…that sort of thing. Whatever I say tonight, just don't take anything too seriously."

"What are you going to say about us?"

"Just the truth, with a few minor adjustments."

"So you're going to lie to these people."

"Rule four – in this room, there are no truths or lies. Appearance is everything and reality is meaningless unless it enhances appearance."

"There certainly are a lot of rules to this. However did you manage to learn them all?" Maria asked sarcastically, quickly becoming frustrated with Max and his nonsense. His entire world was fake, yet he relished in presiding over it.

"Don't be silly – all the rules of society could never be learned. Everyone in this room was raised with these lessons. Most women here could curtsy properly before learning the alphabet and the men were learning to play cards before they could add or subtract."

"Sounds like a very dismal childhood" Maria responded, appalled by what Max was telling her.

"Not at all – it was a childhood filled with all the privileges money could bring. There are some, of course, who have found ways to enter into this social group; however, it remains primarily an "old money" club."

"Old money?"

"Inheritances primarily. Many of these people are descended from a long line of wealthy, accomplished ancestors. The family name means everything to these people, and making a name for yourself through hard work is insignificant."

"But that is wrong."

"But it is how it is."

True to Max's word, not five minutes after the couple had sat down did others come and join them. Soon there was a large crowd conglomerating around, with interweaving conversations. Talk of new businesses coming to Vienna, upcoming social events, and gossip about strangers filled the air around Maria. Already exceedingly uncomfortable from having people standing around her while she was seated, topics of no interest, and conversations she was not welcomed in, Maria again began to feel what was becoming an increasingly familiar sense of discomfort and sheer boredom.

To make matters worse, on the rare occasion when somebody would address Maria (and this indeed was very rare), Max would quickly intervene with a dismissive answer on her behalf. No matter their snobbery, these people could read social signals as well as Maria could read music or the Captain literature, and the message that Maria was not to be talked to was soon universally accepted.

While part of Maria tried to reason that Max had done this to protect her – she obviously had no knowledge of the topics they were covering and she was certain that Max simply did not want her to suffer the humiliation of openly admitting she knew nothing about Herr Gunther's new moustache or the movement towards a quarter-inch shorter skirt on Sunday dresses—she couldn't help feeling out of place and more like Max's accessory than partner.

Luckily for Maria, she had a clear view of the orchestra and the dance floor, and contented herself to watch the beauty in front of her, her visual and auditory senses mesmerized by the synchronized colours and perfect harmonies. She spent a great deal of time trying to create lines of harmony in her mind to accompany the rich music, often humming softly until Max again elbowed her in the rib.

It was only when the clock chimed eleven o'clock that Maria realized a critical point.

"Max" she hissed, causing the man to quickly end his conversation and turn to her.

"What's wrong Maria?"

"It's eleven already!"

"So it is"

"If we leave now we'll be back by two…one-thirty at the earliest."

"Maria don't be silly. These balls usually end at about five. I figured that when it was over we could go back to my place, sleep for a few hours, and then return to Salzburg."

"If you think for one moment that I would be willing to go home with you, you clearly do not know me at all, Max Detweiller." Her voice could be quite menacing when she was tired, frustrated, and bored.

"Why not?"

"If you really have to ask, that would be the first reason."

"And the others?"

"How many others do you need? The top three? What about the children? I have a job to do, Max, and I will not shirk my responsibilities. The abbey? Sister Berthe would have me weeding every garden patch on this side of Austria and that is if the Reverent Mother would even consider allowing me to return. And what about reputations? Yours, mine, even the Captain's would be on the line."

Max sighed. He had anticipated a fight, but in his mind the odds had been in his favour. In reality, they appeared to be skewed the other way.

"We agreed to take things slow, and that I would have the final say in what is suitable and what is not. And your suggestion is most assuredly not." Maria knew she was being harsh, after all he had only openly suggested sleeping, but the connotation was clear and she had run out of patience for acting like somebody that she was not.

"I suppose you have a point" he admitted glumly, mainly upset that he, usually the life of the party, would have to bid farewell to many of his friends at such an early hour. The scar this would put on his reputation would take a long time to fade.

After bidding farewell to those in the vicinity, he offered his hand to Maria, who looked at it quizzically.

"Would you do me the honour of one final dance?" he asked with all the sincerity he could put into his voice and eyes.

It was his apology. Maria had a choice to make: accept the dance and the apology or refuse and have a very long and uncomfortable ride back to Salzburg.

As though by God's decree, as Maria placed her hand into Max's, the music suddenly changed to Johann Strauss's _Tales from the Vienna Woods_.

Max bowed low, never taking his eyes off Maria, who was deeply curtseying. In a flash she was in his arms and they were flying across the dance floor. The rush of adrenaline coursing through both of their veins suddenly awoke them both, as their feet were a flurry of movement when compared to the simple waltz steps being performed by the other dancers.

Maria's skirt swirled around her legs as she spun, adding special footwork and intricate turns. This time Max was prepared for her spontaneity, and he stood by her proudly as she danced around as though she had been taught by the Swan Lake prima ballerina herself. Her footwork was fast and complicated, yet with a precision that could only be attributed to natural talent. The music selection had almost a magical quality about it, as though it belonged in _A Midsummer Night's Dream_.

Max watched as the beautiful blonde spun around him – her face alive with color that had been missing all evening, her hair glowing in the low lighting, and her dress hugging her slight frame. He had long ago accepted her attractiveness; however, as she looked over her shoulder to smile at him, her beauty was unparalleled. He had never before been so attracted to a woman, and his internal debate and confusion about the extent of his feelings towards her suddenly rose such that the humming in his ears nearly drowned out the orchestra.

As Maria spun, she willed the insecurity, annoyance, and frustration she had been feeling for the past few hours to shed away. Within a minute her usual joy and positivity returned, and she allowed herself to fall into Max's arms with less grace than normally would be acceptable, laughing out loud.

Standing so close, Maria's eyes travelled up past his well-trimmed moustache to meet his eyes as the music came to its conclusion. The best seven and a half minutes of the entire evening.

"Thank you, Max. Thank you so much for this entire day. I had a wonderful time." Their recent conversation was not forgot, but overlooked for the moment. Her gratitude was genuine.

"Good" Max replied then, suddenly no longer caring what the gossip would say about him the next day, he leaned in and kissed Maria squarely on the lips. To his surprise he felt her respond, molding her lips to his for a short moment before backing away slightly to look him in the eye with her endearing half smile. He was forgiven.

Max cleared his throat, recited the five past popes of the Catholic church in his mind to ease his libido, and softly said, "Now as you insist on returning to Salzburg tonight, I suppose it is high time I get you back to those children."

"That sounds wonderful" she agreed in the same soft tone, her breath tickling his nose they were so close together.

"Are you sure you wouldn't reconsider? The party really only starts at around one." He tried to convince her to stay as they left the dance floor.

"How are you not exhausted?"

"Partying is hard work Maria. It takes years of practice. Oh, and I did sleep this afternoon after I let you off downtown…"

"Well if you are so wide awake, I expect lively entertainment on the ride home."

If the Max's stories on the ride home were lively, Maria would have had no idea. For three hours straight she fought off the impending sleep, trying desperately to remain coherent enough to elicit a noise of agreement every few minutes so that Max would know that she was still awake. As much as she would have loved to have slept, she was determined not to appear rude to Max and fall asleep while he spoke to her.

Needless to say, the trip passed in a haze, and when Max finally pulled into the driveway of the Captain's villa at quarter after two in the morning, Maria could not have summarized one point that he had made over the entire drive.

Hand-in-hand, the two practically stumbled from exhaustion through the front door, being careful to keep their arrival as quiet as possible.

To the dismay of both parties, a light was visible from the Captain's study.

Curious and now wide awake, the two made their way to the door. Maria knocked lightly, causing the door to swing open, and reveal Captain von Trapp, dressed in his night robe, deeply immersed in the world of Dickens.

"Georg, what are you doing awake at this hour?" Max sounded more annoyed than surprised.

"I cannot rest until all members of my household are accounted for. I seem to recall, Max that you promised to be home by this late this evening. At two thirty in the morning, I do believe this would count for tomorrow morning already?"

"You were worried about us?" Max asked in surprise. The Captain had never before shown any interest on his comings and goings – he often relied on this in fact.

"Yes…I suppose I was" the Captain did a double take as his eyes finally found Maria, who had stepped out from Max's shadow to stand beside him.

"You must be exhausted, Captain." She spoke softly, her voice slightly raspy from her tired state.

Her dress made a soft swooshing noise in the silence of the room as she shifted her weight back and forth, and the makeup hid her fatigue and brought out the soft blueness of her eyes. Her tousled hair from the dancing in the Captain's eyes, perfected the look by adding a touch of humanity to what he otherwise would have to call otherworldly beauty.

His mind urged him to act politely and compliment her attire, but he suddenly was too short on air to form words.

A slight blush came to Maria's cheeks as she felt the Captain's intense stare taking in her appearance, and in front of her eyes she saw small bursts of light.

Her slight sway brought the Captain to her side before Max could figure out what was happening.

"Are you alright?" the Captain asked in a hushed tone. Despite his better judgment he allowed himself to tighten his grip around her waist, while using the other hand to brush away a strand of hair from her eyes.

"Fine. A little tired" Maria responded in an equal tone, though in reality she felt more lightheaded now with the Captain at her side then she had moments earlier.

"You must be exhausted. Please do not worry about the children tomorrow morning – sleep in as late as you like."

"Oh no, you were kind enough to give me another day off today, and I would feel terrible."

"Come now. We are six days away from the party, and I will need you well-rested and in top health for that evening."

"And you should heed your own lessons and get some rest as well, Captain" she replied, her words slurring slightly together.

Max watched this interaction curiously. He had, of course, noted that the Captain's arm was still around his date's waist, and Maria was leaning into his body. She, he was sure, was simply tired but he wondered if he was perhaps finally getting a glimpse of what Elsa had been suggesting all along. The jealousy that began to rise within him was again a surprise.

"Come, my dear. I'll walk you to your room." He offered Maria his arm, and was pleased when she stepped out of Georg's arms and into his own.

The Captain watched as the two left the room, his arms suddenly feeling empty. The late hour finally caught up with him, and he felt exhausted in every sense of the word. He paused as he got to the top of the stairwell, where he would normally turn left to get to the master bedroom, the children and Maria's room to the right. Max and Elsa were staying in the guest quarters, in a completely different wing of the house. He could see the silhouette of two forms outside of the governess's room, and couldn't draw his eyes away when the shadow of the larger face merged with that of the smaller for a brief moment then pull apart. He watched as lips moved quickly, though could hear nothing. The smaller figure turned, and with a softly audible click of the door, disappeared. Georg hastened towards his room, satisfied that everyone would soon be in their proper beds, and perhaps he could now get some sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Hey! I hope you are enjoying the story so far. There are lots of Maria/Georg moments in this chapter so I hope I make you smile :)**

**I can't believe how quickly the story is passing by - but not to fear, there is plenty left! Great things come to those who wait...**

_Chapter Twenty-Eight_

"Odl lay ee, old lay ee  
Odl lay hee hee, odl lay ee  
Odl lay odl lay, odl lay odl lee, odl lay odl lee  
Odl lay odl lay odl lay

HOO!"

The children jumped from the stage into their father's waiting arms, rejuvenated with a second wave of energy. It had been an exhausting week – Monday morning, as per the Captain's request, Maria had slept in almost until lunchtime and, because of the lost time, she and the children had worked all afternoon and evening on the two shows. The rest of the week had been much of the same, with minor interruptions from the Captain or Max who required assistance with some party detail. In the evenings, after the children had gone to bed, the four adults would meet in the sitting room to discuss the accomplishments of the day, and what would need to be done the next day.

Wednesday morning the Captain had announced he had to run into town, and Max and Elsa quickly consented to join him. Taking full advantage of their absence, Maria and the children had been able to practice their surprise for the ball on the grand stairwell, where they would actually be presenting. They had gotten so caught up in their practice, they had forgotten to eat lunch, and only when the Captain returned at three did they realize their mistake. Some of the children had been more forgiving than others.

Thursday morning the Captain informed Maria he had brought the children's dresses and suits home the day before rather than relying on the store's delivery services. After breakfast he had the children model their selections for him, and Maria was relieved when he announced he was entirely satisfied with their choices. They practiced their puppet show all afternoon, and when evening came around they spent time with their father as Maria had dug through their closets, in search of party shoes, hair ribbons, socks, and all the other accessories that they would require. That night, after her customary "check-in" meeting in the sitting room, Maria had stayed awake almost until sunrise, hemming ribbons, shining shoes, and ironing articles of clothing that had been squashed into the backs of drawers.

It was now Friday afternoon, and much to Maria's relief, the puppet show was over. While she knew that the only audience would be the other three adults of the house, and therefore there would be less pressure than their next big presentation, Maria had hoped that everything would go smoothly, more than anything to give the children the confidence that they would require Saturday night.

Aside from some beer foam in her face, and Marta's wandering attention, their performance had gone off without a hitch, and Maria was filled with pride…and exhaustion. Since her late morning Monday, she had barely slept all week, and the dark circles under her eyes were becoming more and more pronounced.

"That was wonderful!" the Captain exclaimed, pulling all seven of his children into a group hug.

"I have never seen a better performance in all my years at festival" Max announced proudly, ignoring the skeptical look that flashed across the Baroness's face.

"Really?" Marta asked, her eyes wide.

"Are there puppet shows in the festival, Uncle Max?" Kurt asked. This, of course, caused Max to begin to recount to the children all the interesting acts that he had seen during his years in the theater. Enthralled with his stories, the children followed Max and Elsa, who were walking arm in arm, out of the ballroom and into the adjacent living room.

Through the curtain, Maria noticed the cordiality between Max and the Baroness and marveled, not for the first time, at the friendship that they shared. Since Max had told her about the story of their first meeting, Maria had been careful to watch them together, and the bond between them was obviously strong. There were few people that the Baroness would spend her time conversing with, but Max seemed to be an exception.

Maria was still behind the stage, laughing as she sorted the strings from the puppets that were wrapped around her legs in a tangled mess, when the Captain joined her.

"I am very much impressed, fraulein." The Captain couldn't help but laugh at Maria's predicament as she tried to weave a very large goat's-head between her ankles, all the while trying to remain upright as her feet were tied tightly together.

"They're your children, Captain!" Maria replied, thankful when the Captain began picking at the strings that bound her in place.

"You have done so much for them!" he mused, amazed by his children's talents. "And they learnt all that in three weeks?"

"This is only part one" Maria replied, with a wide grin.

"Ah yes, your 'little surprise'" the Captain chuckled. "You must be the master at discipline to accomplish so much in so little time."

"Well I _have_ been practicing that whistle you gave me…" Maria answered slyly, eliciting a loud laugh from the Captain. He noticed she fingered the neckline of her dress, and he could make out a thin chain encircling her neck, bringing a flash of joy.

"I could have used someone like you on my sub to keep the men in line" the Captain noted. "Although I fear that I would be running the risk of losing you to one of them. I am certain it would not take long for the entire crew to fall in love with you as my children have."

"Though I doubt I could reciprocate the feeling towards your crew as I do your children."

"Then they are extremely fortunate children." the Captain responded quietly, his fingers brushing against Maria's ankles as he unwove the last of the puppet strings.

"Yes – to have a father like you would indeed be a blessing."

There was a moment of silence and stillness between the two, so peaceful that neither wanted to be the one to break it with so much as a breath.

Excited chatter from the next room finally broke the room.

"We should go see what Max is up to." Georg cleared his throat. "I fear if we leave him too long, he may agree to purchasing the children an entire theater of their own, at my expense of course!"

Maria joined him in laughter, and quickly added "I've been meaning to thank you for the stage and the puppets! The children and I had a wonderful time working on and presenting the play! "

"Completely my pleasure."

Marta suddenly ran into the room.

"Father! We're going to be in the festival!" she exclaimed, her cheeks rosy with excitement.

"What festival is that, darling?" the Captain asked, a slight suspicion growing inside.

Marta paused for a moment, before responding "Uncle Max's festival!"

"Oh are you?" the Captain responded, taking Marta by the hand. When he arrived at the door separating the ballroom from the living room where the children were, he paused, and gestured for Maria to enter first.

Pleased, Maria obliged and quickly entered. Though propriety usually dictated that a man allow a woman to enter a room first, traditionally this did not apply to a boss-employee relationship. Maria took it as a sign that the Captain saw her as more of a friend that the governess of his children, making her smile.

"Care to explain, Max?" he Captain asked bluntly as he entered, trusting Max would know the cause of his disdain.

"You heard them, they're magnificent Georg! Imagine, a singing group all in one family. They'll be the talk of the festival."

"No Max."

"Why not?"

"My children do not sing in public."

Elsa was on the seat of her chair, slightly anxious to see the faceoff between the two friends. It was quite the turn-on.

Maria was not sure where this interaction would lead, but wanted to distract the children from watching their father and Uncle Max argue, so she called them to her side, and asked what they would like to do next. After the puppet show, they deserved an afternoon of relaxing before running through their surprise again that evening before bed.

The Captain shook his head in frustration. _Trust Max to come up with an idea like putting the children in the festival. Then anouncing it to them before speaking to me! Now I'll look like a cruel father when I tell them it'll be a cold day in hell before they sing for a live audience in a concert! Doesn't he have any propriety?_

He turned his attention away from glaring at Max, and noticed Fraulein Maria approaching him. _Now what idea does she have? _He laughed to himself. _Perhaps it's time for a history lesson; a short trip to Egypt to excavate a pyramid might be nice. Or maybe we'll take it easy today with a class in science and relax with invasive brain surgery. Or maybe-_

"You, Captain." Her fragmented sentence took him for a loop, and for a moment the Captain did not know what she was talking about. The guitar she extended towards him gave it away.

"Uh uh uh uh." He gave her a 'not going to be happening in this lifetime' look. "No, no, no, no, no."

"Please father! Fraulein Maria sang to us before, now it's your turn!" Gretl pouted,

"I am told that a long time ago you were quite good!" Fraulein Maria added.

"Well that was a very, very, very long time ago" he responded with humour.

"Please?" coursed the seven children.

"Will you sing Edelweiss?" asked Louisa, turning to Maria. "Father used to sing this to us all the time. It's my favourite, though I don't remember much of it."

The Captain glanced around the room. The Baroness and Max and disappeared again. _Probably scared away by the mention of my singing._

"Only if someone will sing with me." He declared, knowing full well that very few of his children would remember the song. To be fair it was better as a duet anyways.

"Liesl's the only one who knows the words!" Friedrich announced, much to the Captain's delight.

"Liesl?" Fraulein Maria asked, eager to hear the Captain sing as well.

"I can't…" Liesl stammered, in an admittedly quiet voice. "I've got a hoarse throat. All that yodeling for the play must have worn it out! Maybe in a few hours…"

"And you'll all need your voice for tomorrow" Maria admitted glumly.

The children sat in defeated silence. The Captain felt guilty, and was about to announce that he supposed could sing it along, when Brigitta came up with a better plan.

"Fraulein Maria, why don't you sing with Father? I've heard you humming the song, so I know you know it."

Maria was torn. She really wanted to hear the Captain sing, hoping to find the source of the children's talents, yet the thought of singing with the Captain seemed too intimate for their relationship. The only man she had ever sung with had been her father when she was a little girl, and the memory was faded.

The children's pleading eyes did it. She could not resist them, and they knew it.

"Very well" she nodded, as she too picked up the second guitar and sat next to the Captain on the couch.

"Key of C?" she asked as she ran her fingers over the strings, hoping her kinetic memory would remember the chords.

Only communicating with their eyes, their first strummed notes were perfectly in synch. It was wordlessly agreed that the Captain would be playing the melody, with Maria harmonizing. She had the better ear though he had superb training. When the lyrics began, it was the Captain who sang first.

Edelweiss, Edelweiss  
Every morning you greet me  
Small and white, clean and bright  
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow

May you bloom and grow  
Bloom and grow forever  
Edelweiss, Edelweiss  
Bless my homeland forever

As second repeat of the lyrics, the Captain again began, but this time Maria joined in.

Small and white

Clean and bright

You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow

May you bloom and grow

Bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, edelweiss

Bless my homeland forever

Maria and the Captain's eyes stayed focused on each other throughout the song. To begin with, Maria had watched him simply to keep the right rhythm; however, as the song progressed, she felt a powerless sensation, and her thoughts completely drifted away. All she knew was the Captain's eyes deeply invested in her own. Maria soon forgot that she was singing and playing, completely consumed in the connection between them that sparked like a live wire. Recognition of when she was…where she was…why she was there…it was all gone.

Then, as quickly as it began, it ended, with the final strains of the guitars. The children were completely silent, having been able to sense the change in the room's environment. A deep red blush filled Maria's cheeks as she managed to tear her eyes away from his, hoping her strong emotions were not visible..

"Come along children. It's time to get washed up for dinner." She broke the silence, feeling bad for having put the children in such an awkward position.

"Finally!" Kurt exclaimed, and Maria could have kissed him for easing the tension of the room.

_Exhaustion_. Maria reasoned with herself, to explain her heightened reaction, as she guided the again-cheerful bunch away from the Captain. _Pure exhaustion._

Little did she know, the Captain was doing the same rationalizing.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:And we have finally arrived at the night of the party! It's going to be a long night (ie many chapters!) and I hope you enjoy. **

**For the Maria/Max haters, remember you have to kiss a few toads before finding a prince... :)**

_Chapter Twenty-Nine_

Maria let the children sleep in the next morning, determined to get as much sleep into them before the party as possible. She could barely believe they were able to sleep through all the racket being caused by the cleaners, caterers, and other myriad of workers that were bustling around the party-central. Gretl and Marta were the first to come downstairs in their nightgowns, and Maria quickly whisked them back upstairs to get them ready for the day. By the time hair was combed and faces washed, the other children were all up and about as well.

Maria tried her best to keep them occupied upstairs so all the men and women could complete their work without disturbance, but the children were too excited to focus on any one task for a length of time. They could hear the voice of their father and Max directing people about, and every so often an exclamation from the Baroness claiming that something "is just wrong, Georg!"

Finally the afternoon came, and by three o'clock it was time to get the children ready for the party. The guests would only be arriving around six-thirty, but Maria knew better than to leave it to an hour before and then attempt to wash, dress and style seven different children's hair.

Maria took a deep breath, and decided to get some order. "Kurt you shower first but do not use up all the hot water in the boy's washroom…your brother needs to clean up as well. Louisa and Brigitta, the washroom in the girl's room is yours. Liesl, would you mind bathing the little ones, and then while I do their hair you can get ready yourself? You can use the bathroom attached to my room. Girls, once you are clean, slip on your nightrobes so your wet hair doesn't ruin the fabric of your dresses. Everyone understand?"

Seven heads nodded, and then left to do their designated chores. Maria was digging through her armoire searching for the hair ribbons she had mended and the shoe she had polished when she heard her name being called.

"Fraulein Maria, I have soap in my eyes!" Gretl ran from the washroom, in nothing but a towel wrapped around her and soap suds trailing from he hair down to the floor. Maria held back a giggle.

"Here, sweetheart, wipe your eyes on my skirt. Better?" she asked. Gretl's lips curled into a smile.

"Now let's get you rinsed off." She could hear the splashing in coming from her washroom and was certain that Liesl would be completely drenched by the end of her chore.

One by one the girls returned to their governess's room, towels wrapped around their hair and hairbrushes in hand. Excitement was palpable in the air as they brushed through their wet locks, with water flying in all directions and soaking Maria's mattress. Kurt and Friedrich, who had little hair to dry, were helping Maria comb through Gretl and Marta's mass of curls, both boys looking thoroughly thankful for their short hair as their worked through the large tangles. Their job complete, they hurried back to their room to get dressed, extremely glad to be away from their five giggling sisters.

Once their hair was passably dry though still hanging loose, Maria and the two youngest girls returned to their where their dresses were waiting. As Maria had suspected would be the case, it was already five o'clock. As she dressed the two, the others girls continued to pop their heads through the door with one concern or another.

"Fraulein Maria, I can't get this zippered up!"

"I just got a run in my tights!"

"Is this bow on straight?"

Maria glanced at her watch. Time was ticking by, and the Captain had made it clear he wanted his children there on time. She realized the boys had been unnaturally quiet for some time.

"Louisa" she asked the girl who had dressed the quickest and was strolling down the hallway looking bored, "I have to go check on the Kurt and Friedrich. Will you help Marta get her head out of the dress's sleeve? I'll be back in a few minutes."

Maria rushed to the boys' room. She almost screamed when she saw the chaos. In all the time they had to get ready, they had clearly left their one chore to the last moment. Comic books sprawled on the bed indicated their distraction.

Different pieces of their suits littered the ground. Combs, shampoo bottles and various other things poked out here and there. In the middle stood Kurt and Friedrich, attempting to pull a shirt onto Friedrich that was obviously too small.

"Fraulein Maria!" Kurt sighed in relief. "Help!"

Maria walked over to them, and took the shirt.

"The problem here, gentlemen, is that this shirt belongs to Kurt." She laughed.

Kurt looked down at the shirt he was wearing, which was halfway down his thigh.

"Oh" he laughed. "That explains it. I didn't THINK a person could shrink!"

Soon the two boys had the right shirts on, and were putting on their blazers and ties.

"Come to the girls' when you boys are finished. And please gentlemen, no more Superman until tomorrow?"

Maria checked her watch. One hour and a half left. Hardly anytime, seeing how she was still in her cleaning dress, and her hair was flying everywhere. _Oh well. I don't have a suitable dress anyways. _She thought to herself as she walked down the hallway. _I'll stay out of sight on the patio until it is time to Marta and Gretl to go to bed._

To her relief, the girls were dressed by the time she got back to the older girls' room where everyone was gathering, and were adding the final touches on their hair and, for Liesl anyways, makeup. Maria gave the eldest von Trapp a wink to let her know the Captain would hear nothing about it then tackled arranging Gretl's hair.

Half an hour later, the seven children were lined up in front of Maria, looking very sharp indeed.

"Kurt, your hair needs a little brushing, Louisa, please could you tie that bow a little nicer. Gretl please stop twirling about, you will make yourself sick, and Brigitta, the book goes away. Not tonight, darling. You all look wonderful!" Maria exclaimed. "And you now since we have half an hour perhaps we should go over the song once as well."

Liesl looked at her governess. "But Fraulein, don't you need to go prepare for the party?"

"It's okay, Liesl. I will come down later."

Liesl shook her head. "Friedrich and I will look after everyone. You go get dressed. We'll go through the song a couple times. Go!"

Liesl pushed her out of the room with a "father insisted".

Maria walked towards her door, planning to use her time to take a fifteen-minute nap rather than "preparing" in a dress that she did not have. Perhaps she'd slip on something dry if nothing else than comfort as she waited outside for the children's bedtime.

Walking into her room, she noticed a brown package on her bed, tied up with a white string. It had been strategically placed between the water spots caused earlier by the children. A paper with one word was written on it

_Maria._

Intrigued, she pulled the string from the paper. Inside there was a note.

_Fraulein Maria,_

_There aren't words to describe the immense impact you have had on my family and myself. There is no way I could thank you properly for giving me back the things I most cherish—my children. You are truly a gift from God. I realize you didn't have time to find a dress for tonight's party because of your constant selfless acts of kindness, and have probably decided you didn't want to come. I am sorry to inform you that you no longer have an excuse, and I expect to see Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Brigitta, Kurt, Marta, Gretl and yourself (last again!) to be downstairs once the party begins. On time, please, fraulein? _

_Please accept this small gift as a token of my eternal gratitude. _

_Georg_

Maria chucked and reached inside the box and pulled out the most gorgeous dress. It was sky blue with a faint flower pattern. The sleeves were a hazy/clear material that looked as though it would sway around her arms.

Maria gasped in delight. It was the most delicate dress she had ever seen, including the gown Max had purchased for her. Anxious to put it on but wet and dirty, she ran to the shower. Spending the minimum amount of time washing herself, Maria scurried out, dried off, and stepped into the beautiful dress.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Maria was pleased with her appearance. The dress was somehow transforming; not necessarily physically—though she looked beautiful—but the moment Maria saw herself, she could imagine clearly for the first time in her life, that she belonged- in the house, as part of the family, at the party going on downstairs. It was nowhere near as elegant as the dress Max had bought for her in Vienna, but whereas she had felt like an imposter in the cream gown, in this blue dress she felt at home. It was not as flashy, and yet again Maria was reminded that the most beautiful things in the world were often the more simple.

The clock downstairs chimed six and Maria's heart leapt with joy and excitement. She had only fifteen minutes left before she had to go make sure the children were ready to join the party.

Liesl had slipped her governess the contraband makeup case before pushing Maria out of her room, so with a couple swipes of the mascara brush Maria deemed herself ready for the party. When she looked in the mirror this time, unlike in Vienna, she recognized the face smiling back at her, and it was exactly as she had imagined all those years ago when she was on the mountain. She could hardly believe her fortune at living in this house, surrounded by people she loved, about to go to her second ball that week.

The clock was chiming on the half hour as Maria ushered the von Trapp children out of their rooms. When they had seen Maria, they had all begun to talk at once, but Maria refused to listen to their compliments—brushing it aside with a "it's just the beautiful dress" and instead flattering them each individually on how grown up they all looked.

As per the Captain's directions, the troop used the stairwell at the other end of the house to descend to the main level so that the gathering crowd in the main entranceway and ballroom would not see them. The stairway ended through the backdoor of the small living room where they had the night before listened to Maria and their father sing _Edelweiss_. There they waited for their signal from the Captain.

Louisa poked her head around the corner, which lead to the front entrance.

"Oh my gosh, there must be a thousand people out there!" she gasped, and immediately another seven bodies surrounded hers to get a glimpse of the crowd. Maria was shocked by the turnout – she didn't think she had ever met this number of people in her life, let along know them intimately enough to invite them to a party. Her stomach flipped slightly with nerves for the children's performance. Perhaps her idea had not been that well thought-out…

A figure immerged from the crowd, styling a new suit and hair combed neatly. Max. Maria felt her heart flutter and a smile crossed over her face, his laugh as he saw the eyes peeping out of the doorway easing her anxieties.

He glanced over his shoulder, almost as if to check if anyone was watching him, then turned and came towards them.

As he rounded the corner, Maria greeted him. "Good evening, Max! Having a good time at the party?"

"Better than you lot stuck here!" he joked. "And may I say, Maria you look beautiful." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Maria bit her lip as she noticed the children staring at them like an attraction at the zoo.

"Save me a dance for later?" Max asked. Maria smiled.

"Of course."

Max gave her a small, almost unnoticeable wink and stated, "Oh, I was talking to Gretl!" With a squeeze of her hand and a warm gentle smile that reminded her how much she cared for him, he walked into the crowd.

"I'll be waiting, Uncle Max!" Gretl called after him, and the children all laughed.

Her focus turned to the ballroom, where the Captain stood, looking very handsome in a tux. _One of the first men I've ever seen that does not resemble a penguin in one of those outfits. _She giggled to herself. O_ne of the most handsome men I've ever seen, end of sentence. _She also admitted to herself before noting he was looking straight at them.

Careful not to attract any attention, the Captain motioned to her to bring in the children with a wave of his hand. She half expected him to hoot like an owl, Gretl's warning signal someone was coming while practicing for the puppet show, their entire entrance seemed so secretive and mapped out. Elsa's planning undoubtedly. She quickly herded them up to the doors that led to the entrance to the ballroom, where there was a man announcing the names of all the guests entering the golden room.

When they got there, Maria leaned over and told the man who they were. He smiled widely at them and announced in a loud voice, "The children of Captain von Trapp Liesl, Friedrich, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta and Gretl and their governess, Maria Rainer."

Maria laughed to herself. If it weren't for all the guests, she would have questioned why she was always last. At least they were on time.

The Captain glanced up as his children were announced. _They all look wonderful! _He thought to himself. From behind Liesl immerged a thing of beauty. Maria. _Fraulein Maria. _He quickly corrected himself. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. He was pleased to see she had found the dress. It was not as fancy as most of the other ladies', yet her beauty and grace outshone every other woman he had greeted that evening… just the way the Captain had thought she would when he bought it. The dress paled, however, to her expression of pure excitement as she took in the splendor that had been so carefully planned.

Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished, the children in tow.

No sooner had they arrived, Maria and the children left the party to gather out to the terrace, as the Captain had instructed Maria. He had been hesitant to tell her, but finally that morning had broken down and admitted that the Baroness did not want the children running around with the members of parliament and people of high society. Elsa did not think this to be 'sophisticated'.

His tone and expression had informed Maria that the Captain was not looking forward to having all these high-status people in his house, critiquing every part of the party. For some reason, the idea of a quiet night with close friends seemed like a better idea to the Captain, which he had told Maria, but he was willing to do it for Elsa.

"Now what do we do?" asked Kurt, already bored. "Sit here for the rest of the night, while all the adults are inside having a good time dancing, drinking, and eating? What a party."

Maria laughed. "Well, what would you like to do Kurt? I'm open to suggestions, though they can't get your dress clothes dirty. Dinner will be served in about an hour I was told, and you would hate to miss it because you were changing." Her eyes twinkled in the setting sun.

"I'm fine!" Kurt assured her, images of roast, potatoes and thick chocolate cake drifting through his mind. He knew the menu for the festivities almost as well as his Uncle Max. Two prime examples of a one-track mind.

Brigitta, Louisa and Gretl were standing by the doors of the terrace, looking in at all the guests dancing.

"The women look so beautiful." Brigitta remarked, sighing.

"I think they look ugly!" Friedrich grumbled, joining their conversation. He was angry, because he didn't want to be standing outside in an uncomfortable suit all night, when he could be inside tossing around his new basketball or finishing the Superman comic that was lying on his bed. The excitement of the ball had quickly faded as soon as the children had realized how little there was for them to do.

"That's because you're scared of them!" Brigitta teased.

Kurt laughed. 'Don't be ridiculous, Brig. Only grown up men are scared of women."

Maria laughed. _Trust Kurt._

"I think the men look beautiful" Gretl smiled at Maria.

Louisa laughed. "How would you know?"

_Okay, time to do something before they begin another argument._ Maria decided to herself, but she noticed a pair of eyes following the moments of the eldest von Trapp girl. From partially behind a pillar, a young blond man that Maria had to assume was Rolf by the way his eyes were focused solely on Liesl emerged.

"Liesl darling, you have company" Maria spoke so only the girl could hear her.

Liesl's eyes darted around until she saw who her governess had just seen, and her cheeks turned a slight pink with pleasure.

"It him!" she tried not to squeal, and Maria laughed.

"Go get him" Maria poked the girl in the ribs.

"Really?" Liesl gasped. "But Father…"

"What your father doesn't know cannot possible harm him," Maria reasoned.

Not needing more encouragement, Lisel took off towards the house.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: We're finally at the part where things are starting to change. Disclaimer, this is some strong language in the end (and more in the next chapter to come, to be honest). **

**Enjoy the Laendler. It is my favourite part of the movie :)**

_Chapter Thirty_

Arriving inside, she was suddenly unsure how to proceed. Not wanting to approach him in front of his parents, she gently waved when she knew he was looking and stood still, waiting pretending to be immensely busy with the glass of wine she had managed to grab from a passing waiter. He quickly came over with a mischievous look on his face. She quickly downed the wine, and a tingling sensation went down her spine.

"Drinking wine at such a young age. What would your father say?"

"I'm sixteen!" she countered.

"My deepest apologies, I did not realize I had a senior in my presence."

"If I'm a senior, then you better start picking a tombstone and growing out your angel wings" Liesl rolled her eyes at his foolishness.

Rolf leaned in and seductively whispered in her ear "I am no angel, Liesl"

Liesl's eyes opened wide, and Rolf openly laughed at her naivety.

"You got away from that governess of yours?"

"I was given a brief reprise"

"Does your father know?"

"What do you think?"

"I think I'd like to dance. Join me?"

Liesl smiled broadly and accepted his hand as he whisked her onto the dance floor. Soon they were dancing pressed up against each other, Rolf steering them away from the Captain. It was to their advantage that he was too occupied to be searching his eldest daughter, whom to his knowledge was still on the terrace and not drinking wine which she was not permitted to have a dancing with a boy he didn't like. Some things are simply better not knowing.

As is often the case with young love, the moment they were in each other's arms, there were no words to say. Shyness overcame both of them, and to avoid having to look at him directly in the eye, she rested her head on his shoulder.

All too soon the song ended. Liesl stayed in his strong arms an extra second then pulled away. "I'd better be getting back. Fraulein Maria will be searching for me. I was only given leave for one dance."

Rolf smiled, and pushed away a lock of her hair. "You really love her, don't you?" he asked.

"She's like a mother to me. How did you know?" Liesl nodded.

Rolf laughed. "Well if any other governess would have given you a 'brief reprise' you would have been gone for the entire evening just to make her angry. Yet with your Fraulein Maria, you are worried when the first song has barely ended!"

Liesl smiled. "I don't want to worry her. Besides, she I've seen her loose her temper at Father, and it was a frightening thing to behold!"

They laughed together.

"Will I see you again tonight?" Rolf asked, kissing her chastely on the forehead.

"If you keep your eyes open!" she laughed.

Rolf scowled for a moment at her joke, but then gave her another quick kiss on the cheek.

"Get back to your fraulein" he sighed, and walked away. Liesl stood here for a moment. _I hope he's not angry! _She worried to herself, but decided she'd better take his advice and got back to the terrace.

She began to make her way through the crowd, and nearly shrieked when she felt a large hand on her shoulder.

With a guilty look on her face and a tremor in her hands, she turned, expecting to see the stern face of her father.

"Uncle Max!" she breathed with relief when she recognized the man beside her.

"Guilt becomes you, my dear" he laughed at the expression on her face. "Now breathe, I promise not to tell your father, as long as you help me out with something"

"Anything" Liesl agreed quickly.

* * *

"Can I accept that offer now?"

At Max's voice, Maria spun around to find him and Liesl emerging from the house. She was thankful for the distraction –she was struggling to entertain six children without dirtying their outfits or creating unnecessary noise.

"To dance?" Max reiterated, a smile on his face. Maria looked thrilled for a moment, but turned to the children and remembered her duties.

"I can't Ma.." she began, but Liesl cut her off.

"Fraulein Maria, I'll take care of everyone. Go inside for a while; we'll practice our song a few times until you come back. It's your turn, and I'm sure Father won't mind."

If Maria had watching closely, she would have seen Max wink at the girl.

"Well…" Maria stammered. The thought was so tempting. _Just one dance!_ She wished.

"We'll be good Fraulein Maria, we promise!" Marta smiled showing her rows of pearly whites, one tooth off to the side missing giving her the appearance of an innocent young girl.

"Perhaps for one dance?" she agreed weakly.

"If you could grab a book from the study, that would be wonderful" Brigitta, the one with the shortest attention span, called after the two adults. "I'll take any subject at this point!"

Though Maria knew how wrong it was to do this, as she wasn't actually invited to the party, she couldn't hold back her desire to fit in for at least one dance. She too liked acting like 'the adults' once in a while! She accepted Max's hand and he escorted her inside into the ballroom.

A slow waltz started, and Max pulled Maria in close. She could feel almost feel his heart beat under his jacket, and quickly pulled away a little, so that there was a rather large space between them. She could feel the judging eyes of many of the guests on her back, as many of them made the connection between the Max's guest to the Viennese ball and the governess that was just announced and now again in Max Detweiller's arms. She chose to ignore their whispers.

They danced in silence, but inside Maria's mind, the noise was deafening as she tried to convince herself that she had every right to dance with Max, that the children were being taken care of, and that she did not care what anyone else thought.

"Are you having a good time at the party?" Max asked as they gracefully moved across the floor, Maria careful not to add any of her own spice to the dance pattern, not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention to the couple.

"Everything is beautiful, the orchestra is wonderful, and I can't believe the number of people!"

"Come now, you saw many more people than this past weekend" Max pointed out.

"True, but that was in a grand ballroom. This is the Captain's home!" Maria pointed out, biting her tongue as she almost said "my home". In Vienna everything had seemed surreal to Maria but here in the home filled so many fond memories the magic of the night was undeniable.

"So are the children ready for their little surprise?" Max asked with a sly smile. "I can't wait to see Georg's reaction when his children preform in front of all his guests!"

"Do you think he will be angry?" Maria asked, vocalizing the concern that had been on her mind for a couple days now and was reinforced when she saw the crowd. When she had thought of the plan it seemed like a wonderful idea – she had only considered how good it would be for the children to demonstrate all their talent and hard work in front of friends of the family. She had not realized the caliber of people that would be invited, and by the time Elsa had announced the guest list it had been too late to back out. Then there was yesterday's blow-up about the children preforming at the festival, and Maria's anxiety had risen to dangerous levels.

"It's hard to say. The old Georg that would have you out on the street before the third note was sung, but this new one…well I don't know him that well. The children see him as returning to how he was when Agathe was around though there are some differences."

"Like what?"

"Well for example, I don't know if it might just be because he is away from the army now, but he is more playful. Agathe also came from a military background, her grandfather was the inventor of the torpedo…they actually met when she christened his U6. Don't get me wrong, they loved their children very much and had some very good times, but they were strict with the children about academics and lessons each morning in the summers, and each evening during the school year, were highly regimented. When Georg agreed to give the children time off of their studies this summer, I could hardly believe my ears."

"Even though the children were so ahead in their studies?"

"When you come from ancestors with the names von Trapp and Whitehead, there is no room for error. At least that seemed to be their attitude. Even in their music – Agathe would play the piano and Georg the guitar, and they would all sing traditional Austrian folk songs, but never anything creative – there were no 'Doe, a deer's or 'raindrops on roses'."

"I can't imagine the children being alright with that." Maria marvelled.

"Well they didn't know anything else" Max reasoned. "I know it is hard to understand, but it truly was a happy time – but now I see Georg lounging in the grass and having picnics, hear rumours about him running through town with armfuls of ice cream…and I can't help but notice how much my friend has changed."

"Do you think it is for the better?" Maria asked, hyperactively aware that she was at least part of the cause of some of these changes.

"For the children? Absolutely. There will be more than enough responsibilities to deal when once they reach adulthood- I believe that children should be allowed to exercise their minds, bodies and creativity through play. I am quite certain that if Georg continues to act this way, the bond he will form with the children will be stronger than he has ever known."

"But…?" Maria asked, seeing the doubt on Max's face.

"But I fear his relationship with Elsa may suffer from it. Elsa enjoys being the center of attention, and with seven children around no one can be in the spotlight for long."

"Surely once she gets to know the children she will come around."

"Perhaps…" Max answered distantly, his eyes focused on someone behind Maria. When the governess turned her head to see what he had been staring at, Max spun her around although it was not part of the waltz they had been dancing, blocking her view. His face was suddenly red.

"Are you all right?" she asked, genuinely concerned.

"Fine…" he answered distractedly, but quickly changed his mind. "That last champagne must have gone right to my head; it is pounding away like never before. If you don't mind, I think I'll go upstairs, take a large painkiller and stay away from this noise for a little while until it clears up."

"Would you like me to join you?" Maria asked with concern. Sudden and severe headaches were a bad sign.

"Thank you, but please don't miss the party on my account. I'll be fine once I get away from the crowds and the noise for a little while – by supper I should be feeling back to my old self. Besides, you have seven children to watch." Max bent down, and kissed Maria on her lips before he dropped her hand and moved away, leaving her in the middle of the dance floor, concerned and confused as he disappeared from sight.

* * *

When Maria returned to the terrace, she found that Liesl was having the same problems entertaining the children as she had experienced. They had rehearsed, and were completely out of ideas of what to do.

Different suggestions kept coming in, but none of them suitable.

"We could catch toads and put them in the punch!" Louisa cackled, but was immediately turned down. As was Brigitta's suggestion to skip the party and sneak into their father's study and read all his antique never-to-be-touched books, Kurt's to sneak into the kitchen and get a head start on supper, Friedrich's to grab a ball and play tackle football, and Gretl's to go inside and dance with the 'pretty men'. Only Marta hadn't said anything.

"What about you sweetheart?'" Maria asked.

"Could we sing?" Marta asked timidly.

"I'm afraid not, Marta. Your father would be angry if we created too much noise. We want to keep him in a good mood so he'll let you perform your surprise song later!"

"How about we dance?" Asked Liesl as she leaped onto the terrace, and started dancing by herself.

"With Ro-olf?" Taunted Louisa, but she only got a dirty look in return.

The orchestra began a new song- the Laendler. Without thinking, Maria began swaying to the music.

"What's that their playing?' Kurt asked, glancing at Maria questioning.

"The Laendler. It's an Austrian folk song." Maria smiled.

"Teach me."

"Oh Kurt I haven't danced this since I was a little girl!"

"You remember. Please?"

As before, Maria was defenseless against the pleading eyes of the children, and she reluctantly agreed to dance with Kurt, by pulling him into the middle of the dance floor.

"Now you bow and I curtsy" she directed, unsure how much dancing the children had done in their lives. Not much if it was anything like singing, but his bow was proper and she had hope.

She took his left hand and began moving with the music, telling him what to do the entire time. It was difficult keeping in time with a partner who didn't know the steps, especially for such a complicated dance, but she was patient.

"One two three…One two three…One two three…step together! Now, step hop! Step hop! Now turn under…" That was the hardest part. 'Washing the dishes' as some call it, with someone who was half her height. Maria had to try to duck and turn and continue to hold on the Kurt's hands all at the same time.

"We'll have to practice!" her sides hurt from trying to contain her laughter. She was suddenly thankful they would be out on the terrace for a good amount of time that evening – there was suddenly again so much to teach them!

Kurt's grip released halfway through the turn, and Maria quickly turned to find out why. There stood the Captain, offering a white-gloved hand out to her own, an amused look gracing his face.

She paused for a second, and then realized what he wanted. Smiling, she took his hand and the two began to move completely in synch one with the other. Maria was unsure of the steps, having not has danced since she was young, but found kinetic memory is stronger than recollection. Maria had always thought that dancing with any man other than her father would be strange, yet as she held the Captain's hand, warm even through his glove, she felt at home, as though she had spent a lifetime dancing with him.

"Thank you very much Captain for the beautiful dress. Though it was unnecessary…" Maria smiled at him as they moved without thought through the simple steps of the dance's introduction.

"Not in the least. As I said in my note, if it wasn't for you…" His voice died off, leaving them in a comfortable silence as the two moved into the more playful portion of the dance. Their two bodies moving around the terrace spoke for them, and no audible words were needed.

Slowly Maria's mind brought back the memories of the dance, and she no longer had to think about what she was doing. The fast part of the song had just finished, and they began moving into the complicated set of turns.

Their eyes met briefly, and a shudder went down Maria's spine. _The cold night air. _ A feeling of butterflies filled her stomach and her chest area tightened. _I must be getting hungry. _Her knees began to feel weak as she and the Captain moved closer together on each turn. _I'm getting tired from dancing. _But if this was what it felt like to be tired, she had a sudden urge to feel exhausted.

Yet when the Captain's hand went to the small of her back, the feelings that arose in Maria had no excuse and her mind went blank. Her heart felt heavy inside her tight chest, the muscles of her stomach clenched almost painfully, her head was light and her breathing became shallow and quick.

The Captain held Maria in his arms as the two floated over the cobblestone terrace. Each step they took together seemed like a mile, but once passed, felt though it had lasted but a second. As they looked into each other's eyes the Captain felt woozy and embarrassed, as though she could see right through him. This vulnerability shocked him.

_What's happening? _ He wondered, as he tried to reason out his thoughts. _Perhaps I caught Elsa's stomach bug._

As per the dance routine, the two paused each with one arm held in an arch, meeting above their heads. They faces were only inches apart, and their eyes were unblinking as the connection they had first felt while singing the evening before was re-kindled. Both fought every impulse in their body and struggled to not show the other their emotions. She knew she should back away from him and break the connection, but her body had dissociated from her mind, and was under the control of a force much stronger than thought.

The moment passed, and the music carried on. Georg twirled Maria away from him before pulling her body back closer to his than ever. She could feel the warmth of his body pressed against her back, and the skin of her abdomen burned where his hands held her close as their feet moved in unison.

Maria was too preoccupied with these thoughts to notice the overturned cobblestone directly in her path. As she twirled away from him, her foot came into contact with the stone, and Maria's breath caught in her throat as she felt her foot twist under her as her body collapsed to the ground.

In a matter of seconds she was on the floor with a shooting pain in her ankle. She let out a small gasp as tears welled up in her eyes from pain and embarrassment with just a taste of disappointment.

Gretl let out a small shriek as Fraulein Maria fell. The seven of children had been watching their father and mother figure dance as though they were two parts to one whole, and Maria's fall had caused quite a shock to all seven, bringing them back to reality.

Immediately the Captain knelt down beside Maria, and the children all crowded around her. His gloves removed, his warm hand encircled her ankle palpating the anatomy, causing her to gasp again, though not from pain.

"Are you okay?" asked Liesl, trying to keep the worry from her voice for her sibling's sake. The Captain already looked worried enough for the both of them.

Maria winced as she tried to sit up. "I think I just twisted my ankle. I'll be fine."

The Captain looked down at her ankle, which he was still supporting. It was already beginning to swell, and heat radiated from it.

"Just to be sure, can you move your foot downwards, like you're pushing on a gas pedal? Good. Now flex you're your foot upwards. Perfect. Can you rotate your foot inwards and outwards? Well it seems that you are correct. No breaks, probably just a good sprain." The Captain finished his quick first-aid session, his hands remained encircling her ankle. Noticing her apparent discomfort at his touch, he quickly removed his hand and gently laid her foot on the ground.

"We'd better get some ice on your ankle. A good night's sleep and a bag of frozen peas and you'll be as good as new in the morning."

Maria laughed, wincing slightly. "Thank you, doctor."

She slowly tried standing up, but immediately felt herself falling as she attempted to put any weight on her left foot.

"It's okay, Fraulein. I've got you." Liesl put her arm around Maria's shoulders and steadied her.

The Captain quickly slinked his arm around Maria's waist from her other side. "All right. Liesl and I will help you up to your room. Put all your weight against us instead of that leg."

"But the others" Maria protested gesturing to the other children to mask the slight gasp at his touch. "And our surprise."

"Friedrich and Louisa will look after them while we're gone again." Liesl reassured her, and the other two quickly agreed. Ever the optimist, she continued, "we can organize everyone for our little show if needed be, but after a little rest and some ice, I'm sure you'll feel up to coming back downstairs again. Father's an expert on wrapping ankles and he'll have you up and walking again in no time."

"Perhaps. I would love to see your Father's face when he hears the surprise" Maria winked at the Captain beside her and he in turn had a good laugh. Maria turned to other children, pale with worry. "Don't worry my darlings. With your father and Liesl's care, I'll be as good as new in a little while. Be good and have fun!"

The six other children were immediately hugging their governess, wishing her a speedy recovery and promising to come and find her before dinner so she wouldn't miss the meal.

The three of them walked in through the doors, and towards the hidden staircase so they wouldn't have to pass through the crowds of people.

"I'm so sorry, Captain." Maria apologized. "I'm sure you have many other people with whom you would rather be dancing with, or speaking to instead of than practicing your first aid on me."

The Captain laughed. "I couldn't think of one" he joked. Maria smiled at his kindness.

A faint laughter came from down the hall.

"What's that?" Asked Liesl. "Isn't everyone down at the party?"

"They should be…" the Captain murmured, gesturing the other two to remain quiet.

The threesome continued closer and to their surprise, the noises seemed to be coming from Maria's bedroom.

The door was open just enough for the three to look into the darkened room at the same time.

"Fucking shit" the Captain whispered in disgust, as Liesl's face blanched and Maria's legs finally gave out.


	31. Chapter 31

"Fucking shit" the Captain whispered in disgust, as Liesl's face blanched and Maria's legs finally gave out.

**A/N: And now is the chapter where everything changes. Everything that has been happening has been leading up to this. There is some strong language in this chapter...it's why the story is rated as it is. I apologize for the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter - it was too long if I posted everything all at once. As I mentioned before, the night is long as this is just another piece of it. The story is nowhere near being done, so don't throw away your popcorn bags and drink cups yet :) Truth and trust take time.**

_Chapter Thirty-One_

"Are you sure this is okay?" Max asked Elsa, as she slyly moved closer to him in the dark room lit by the moon steadily rising in the east and the lights the Captain had turned on outside to illuminate the gardens. It was almost ten minutes since he left Maria on the dance floor, and still felt guilty for just walking out on her.

"Of course, darling." Elsa pressed her upper body to his. Their silhouettes were dark against the terrace light coming through the window. "It was never a problem before."

"I thought we agreed only when the Captain isn't home and Maria is away with the children. Preferably when the house isn't full of people." Max protested weakly, knowing that he would soon give in to her as usual.

"Oh Max, quit being so worrisome." She laughed, nibbling on his earlobe. "Georg is too good a host to leave his guests, Maria will be looking after the little urchins all evening. And come now Max, you know better than anyone the guests won't be snooping around the house. They're far too high-class for that."

"But clearly it is considered high class to sneak into the governess's room for a quicky?" Max couldn't help his sarcastic mouth.

"Come now darling, you know that Georg had the help store coats and bags in the guest wing. We couldn't very well waltz past them and ask them to ignore any sound they might hear."

"But Maria's room?"

"Well we tried Georg's room but it was locked, and Maria's bed is much bigger the children's."

Max couldn't respond – the thought of doing anything in a child's bed was sickening.

Her silhouette moved towards Max's in the dark bedroom, as she slinked her slim arm into his shirt, popping the buttons open as she pushed the tuxedo jacket off of his shoulders and forcefully stuck her tongue in his mouth, moving it seductively over his teeth to elicit a low growl.

"Still worried?" She whispered in a hoarse voice as her hands made their way over his pecs.

"God no" he replied, trying to pull her even closer to him, though it proved to be almost impossible. The two stood in the moonlight. After another long, passionate kiss, Max slowly slunk onto the bed, pulling Elsa on top of him, moaning and growling as he fell onto the soft blankets the smelled of his girlfriend.

"Not here" Max tried to resist, Maria's scent bringing back his worry. "Darling, this is Maria's room, her bed… if there's nowhere else, can't we do this later?"

Elsa was becoming quite irritated with the man. "I want you now, Herr Detweiller, and you know that I always get what I want. Always have." Another lingering kiss silenced his worries. Max pulled the clip from the Baroness's hair, and tried in vain to run his hand through it, though it was coarse and thick with hair products.

"Besides, your little act with Maria is getting quite tiresome. I know your little show has managed to keep the Captain's suspicions at bay but seeing the two of you together is sickening. As we discussed before – it is only a matter of time before Georg pops the question, and then your little façade will be over."

"Do you seriously think that the only reason I have been with Maria all this time was to appease you? What am I to gain from you becoming the wife of a Baron and you gaining by association the title and wealth that accompany it?" Max was getting tired to Elsa's assumptions, and it was high time he set the record straight.

"What's mine is yours Max, as you know very well." Elsa responded as she stared into his eyes while her hands skillfully undid his belt. "And as for that governess of yours…every time you touch me, every time we make love right under their noses, I see again and again how much she means to you."

There was no defense, and Max allowed Elsa to again take control as she leaned over and captured his mouth with hers, her lips moving forcefully against his.

Maria gasped for air in the hallway, having regained her footing thanks to Liesl who was still supporting her. She couldn't breathe. _I'm going to throw up. I'm going to pass out. _She wished she would, if only to escape. Her stomach churched and the pain in her ankle subsided to be replaced with vertigo and tinnitus.

It took her immense concentration, but she turned her head towards Liesl. She was as white as the moonlight, completely speechless. She too looked sick and shocked. The Captain, however, was redder than a steaming bull, and seemed to have a lot he would like to say.

"Enough of this shit." He snapped to himself, and flung open the door and switched on the bright lights. Maria didn't have the strength to stop him, she was too much in a daze.

Instantly the couple on the bed parted, their hair sticking every which way, and their clothing wrinkled and half undone, obscenities flying in every direction. A guilty expression on the Baroness's face was accompanied by a petrified one on Max's. He had dealt with Georg's anger before, though never quite like what he was sure to be facing.

"What the hell is going on here." The Captain demanded, his breathing rigid, his fists clenched though trying to retrain himself from pounding the both of them.

"Georg, please!" the Baroness pleaded. "Let me explain."

"I believe the explanation we heard was enough."

"How much of that did you hear?" she asked, still breathless, her face as white as the bed sheets.

"Enough." He snapped.

"Oh so now you're eavesdropping." She snapped back in defensiveness. She had nothing to defend, and they all knew it.

"You cheating whore, you have no right so shut the hell up" he raged. "And you!" the Captain turned to Max. "You are dead to me you son of a bitch" Any response Max had was drowned out by a sob from Maria.

The truth had to set in and she was no longer able to be the passive bystander. Tears of rage poured down her face. She would fight her own damned war!

"How could you?" Her voice was shaking but her tone deadly calm her pace slow and her volume low. If he had to pick, Max would have chosen Maria as the more frightening of the two. "Do you have any idea what I have gone through? I almost lost everything for you." Her voice shook with despair. She was losing control quickly. " I trusted you!" she practically screamed, taking a step forward onto her bad ankle and promptly fell to the floor. She did not try to get up, but continued to lie in a heap, her beautiful blue dress slowly being soaked in tears.

Liesl came to her side and patted her on the back, not entirely understanding the dynamics of the situation or how to help her fraulein. At the sight of the broken governess, the Captain's concern immediately shifted towards her needs, briefly dismissing what was happening on the bed behind him.

"Liesl, would you please take Fraulein Maria to the sunroom, the key is in on top of the doorframe. Get her some ice for her ankle and then wait there for me." Georg, though trying to mask his rage in front of his daughter, was more concerned for the woman she was holding. The shattered young woman should not have to hear the remainder of what had to be said to Elsa and Max; what she had witnessed, he feared, may be already more than she can handle.

Liesl nodded without a word—still in shock from what she had seen—and helped a shaking Maria to her feet. The two of them walked towards the door. It was not too often that Maria had nothing to say, but she was so consumed by her hurt that she could not bear to look at the man who had caused it.

"Maria, please. I am so sorry, I love you!" Max called after her with true remorse

Maria paused, fury building up inside her. She turned slowly, still standing only because of Liesl.

"You know nothing about love" she responded in a slow even voice, so filled with hate that even the Captain unconsciously took a step away from him. "I will pray to God for Him to forgive you. I never will."

There was nothing more to be said. She knew that blowing up in a rage at him would have no effect, and she did not have the strength for such a show. She turned and allowed Liesl to lead her out of the room.

The Captain did not have such insight into his hatred. His childhood best friend and his would-have-been-fiancé had betrayed him and he would not let them out of his house without an earful.

"Elsa, Max. You will leave my house, my city, now and return to Vienna. I never want to see you near my children, Maria, my estate or myself again. You are no longer welcome in Salzburg, and I will see to it that you never return. You have twenty minutes to pack your things."

"But Captain, be reasonable. There is a party going on downstairs that necessitates our presence" Elsa pleaded.

"This party is for my friends and family. I no longer count the two of you in either of these groups. I will inform the guests appropriately."

"Georg please- there are futures at stake here" Max finally spoke, realizing the damage losing these contacts could cause to his career.

"Max Detweiller you should be thankful I am allowing you to have a future at all. With what you have told me about your abilities to assure the win of your acts in certain prestigious festivals, I could have you behind bars for the next twenty years. I believe the Supreme Court Judge is downstairs as we speak – you can thank Elsa for sending that invitation."

"You would really throw away forty years of friendship over this?" Max pleaded.

"No Max. You threw it away the first time you looked at the woman you set me up with with anything other than friendship. Or were you sleeping with each other even before I became a part of your web of lies?"

The silence in the room was all the answer the Captain required.

"I suggest you get a move on. You are down nineteen minutes."

"Georg, think rationally. There are no trains leaving at this time of the night. We'll be stranded at the train station." Elsa pleaded.

"I don't give a damned." The Captain stalked out the room.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he finally allowed them to fall. He paused outside the governess's room, and leaned up against the wall trying to compose himself. The lively music and chatter coming from downstairs seemed surreal and out of place with his misery. The party was a lifetime ago. He forced himself to forget about what had just happened, at least for a few minutes, as he took deep breaths through his nose much as he did before he sent off every torpedo he had ever released.

When his breathing finally returned to a reasonable rate, and his heart no longer felt like the force of each heart beat would crack a rib, he slowly made his way down the hall towards the room next to his bed chamber.

It was time to talk to Maria.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Hey guys. I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Just so you know, we are just about at halfway, so there is still a lot left to go. I'll keep posting, and I really hope you all keep reading even through these darker chapters. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. **

_Chapter Thirty-Two_

The Captain arrived at the other end of the house, where the sunroom was located. It was a beautiful room with large windows on two of the walls. The floors were hardwood, and the walls painted a deep blue. The windows overlooked the lake and grounds.

Standing outside the door, he could hear their faint whispering and an occasional whimper. He gently opened the door.

"How are you?" He asked for lack of anything wiser to say, gently sitting on the couch beside Maria, sandwiching her between himself and Liesl. Hopefully their presence would provide a form of comfort.

She nodded. "I'm fine." She whispered, still unable to find her voice. Even through her red teary eyes and wet and her cheeks were red, she still shone brighter than the stars entering the sky overlooking the calm lake. Unfortunately, the light was dimming constantly as flashbacks and memories hit her of her past experiences with Max.

"Of course you're not" the Captain responded with a shuddering sigh. "None of us are, you least of all."

His statement was met with silence.

"They are packing as we speak to return to Vienna. They should be out of this home by the time dinner is served."

Maria gasped, suddenly remembering the festivities downstairs and six children currently without the supervision of their governess or their father.

"I should get back to the children and get them ready to eat. I can't feel my ankle any more anyways. They'll want to run through their surprise again before they eat, and then we had been hoping to present right after the meal." She was on a tangent, but the children were an anchor she could cling to.

Liesl quickly stood. "Stay here, fraulein. I'll go get them ready for dinner. I'll come back and check on you once everyone is seated and eating." Halfway out the door she paused. "And I'm so sorry" She whispered as she dashed out of the room, feeling hopelessly useless.

The Captain knew the only way he could keep from crying himself was to continue talking. He hoped Maria was the same way, and they would be able to talk enough that he could face everyone at dinner with a straight face if not a smile. Maybe then both their dreams would not be quite as terrible, the world not quite as gray.

"How does your ankle feel?" he asked gently.

"I can't feel it." She repeated, laughing a bit through her tears. A good sign. "Between the ice and my tailbone hurting from falling twice and…well everything else has gone numb."

The tears welled up in her eyes again at the memories of the past few minutes. Before she could stop herself the floodgates opened.

"Talk to me" the Captain encouraged, finding it easier to concentrate on her pain than his own.

She did not hesitate. Since the day she met Max she had been yearning for someone to talk to and now she was more confused than ever.

"From the moment we met, I was completely thrown by him. He was a reflection of a part of me the abbey was constantly trying to suppress – his jokes, his outgoing nature, his passion for music. It's probably why I allowed myself to become so wrapped up in him; he was what I was missing. Max was the first person I ever cared about as more than a friend. I was naïve enough to think we could be together…especially after the way he spoke about our future performing in festivals. There were times I was so uncomfortable or blatantly annoyed with what he did or how he acted, but I genuinely thought that everything would work out. At one point he even had me consider leaving the abbey. I thought I might have loved him. How could I have been so blind?"

Maria completely broke down. The Captain reached over and pulled her into his arms; all propriety had gone out the window the moment they had walked into her bedroom. The only thing Maria needed now was to know she was not alone. He held back his own tears by convincing himself he had to be strong for her right then.

"Max was blind and foolish. He didn't see that he had the most amazing woman right in front of him." His voice shook into Maria's shoulders as he kept her tight He needed human contact as much as she did. Seeing that Maria had deteriorated and was in no condition to talk, he decided it was his turn.

"Elsa was the first woman after Agathe who made me feel alive. I was planning on asking her to marry me after the excitement of the party was over. I picked out a ring when I was in Innsbruck a couple days ago…thank God I didn't order or pay for it. I never thought we'd not be together…" He couldn't continue.

The two sat in silence, both too worn out to cry, speak, or move.

The Captain, unable to withstand the silence for long, began to speak, more to himself than the woman leaning on his shoulder.

"You know, I met Max when I was twelve years old. He had just moved here from Vienna, and though he should have been in a couple grades higher as he's four years older than me, was put into my class. Something about a different education system. The teacher gave me the job of showing him around the school. It was like fate. Three days later we were inseparable. In school, out of school, we were always together. After his father died he came to live with us for a while, while his mother sorted out the affairs. We were like brothers. Always playing cops and robbers together. Whenever something was wrong, the other could sense it right away. We always vowed nothing would ever come between us. When we were fifteen, Max started dating a girl named Hilda. Nothing serious, but at that age everything seems much more important. The moment he introduced us I thought I was in love. Max and I had grown so close; our tastes in everything were the same at that time, including women. Max and I had our first fight over Hilda, yet a year later she moved to America and after that we both moved on. The fight separated us a bit, but even though we developed very different personalities, we were still best friends. I never thought that would change."

The Captain gave a short, sad laugh. "I guess our taste in women never separated."

Maria sat in silence, now knowing how to respond to this. There was so much about this Max that she didn't know because he never told her. For a man who spoke so much, he had said nothing. How had she fallen so hard for him?

The Captain continued talking. It was as if by talking, he was fictionalizing, as though making the events a story meant it did not happen, and there was still the possibility for a happy ending.

"I met Elsa through Max, actually. I was upset about…everything and Max told me to come and visit him in Vienna. When I got there, I was greeted at the door by the most beautiful woman."

He paused and choked back a sob before continuing the story Maria had heard, but from a very different point of view.

"Max later introduced me to her as Elsa, a _friend_ of his. I had no idea. A week later we went to dinner, and she was so…different than Agathe. She was gorgeous in a very different way, and much more solemn and wealthy, yet still had a little life in her. Because she did not remind me of Agathe, I was attracted to her. She didn't scare me off because she brought back no memories. Soon I felt my life coming back to me. She saved me. We often talked of Max, and how he needed a woman in his life, but I never thought…" the Captain drifted off, his gaze returning out the window for a few minutes. Then he asked, "So how did you and Max meet? I believe it's safe to assume there's more to the story than Max's explanation, something about promoting a choir, and then you leaving?"

Maria could tell he was tired of talking. The bags under his eyes were prominent, his eyes red, cheeks tear-stained and wet. Though he had aged ten years in ten minutes. She didn't want to imagine what she looked like. _Perhaps if I talk I won't cry._

"Well, that's pretty close." She half-smiled. "I was in the abbey's choir when Max came to listen to us. He offered us the position as his choir to promote for the season, and for a couple weeks we worked together in preparation. One night, two nights before my first day here actually, he asked me out to dinner to 'discuss the possibilities'." Maria flushed. "I was so foolish. He promised me the world that night, and I was nearly ready to take it, but scared I returned to the abbey. The following evening the Reverend Mother called me to her office and told me I was coming here, breaking the contract the abbey had with Max. I thought I would never see him again. Perhaps I would have been better off if I hadn't."

Her voice cut of as she buried her face in her hands, out of tears to shed .

The Captain could tell she was leaving certain parts of the story out, but he did not feel like pressuring her. She looked like an abused kitten the way she was curled up in a ball on the sofa. Gently he stroked her back, pained by the trembling he felt.

The two sat together in silence, the only noise being the occasional sniffle or shuffle from one or the other.

A bell chimed, and Maria looked at the Captain curiously.

"The dinner bell." The Captain announced.

The thought of the Captain leaving her alone was almost more than Maria could bear – speaking with him for the past half hour had been the only thing keeping her together.

"I suppose you should get down there." Maria whispered as she sat up to give him space.

"I suppose" the Captain echoed, but did not move. Almost five minutes passed when there was a faint knock at the door and Liesl entered.

She clearly had no idea how to begin, what to say to two people who had just had their hearts ripped out.

"Just give me a minute, and I'll come down with you Liesl" the Captain sighed.

"There is no need. I spoke with Frau Schmidt and told her you were unwell. I'm not sure if she believed me, but I'm supposed to tell you that with the number of people down there your absence would hardly be missed, and if anyone asked where you were she would mention that she had just saw you and that you must be speaking with somebody else in another room."

"Thank God we chose to serve the meal as a buffet-style. Should we have asked all the guests to sit around dining tables it would be much harder to hide my absence." The Captain nodded. He rose and kissed Liesl on the crown of her head.

"Thank you so much Liesl." He whispered to her. "I pray that you will never experience this is firsthand."

"There's something else…" she paused as though considering what to do, then returned to the door to usher in Friedrich and Louisa, each carrying a tray filled with plates of food.

"I know neither of you ate anything since breakfast, and though I'm sure you're not hungry, if you could maybe just eat a bite or two?" she asked hesitantly. Friedrich and Louisa looked at their father and governess with sadness and confusion in their eyes, but obviously per Liesl's instructions said nothing, only gave each of them a hug before they left.

As Liesl was leaving the room, the voice of Maria that had been silent for longer than the Captain had ever experienced in the past stopped her.

"Liesl, have you and the other children eaten?"

The Captain choked on his mouthful of water – he hadn't even thought to ask about the welfare of his children he had been so caught up in the events that had so recently transpired. The realization that he was reverting to his previous patterns of self-centeredness and distancing himself from his children was enough to jolt him from his grief-filled state.

To his relief, Liesl nodded.

In that instance, he vowed this time he would not forget them. They would not, could not, be victims of Elsa's infidelity.

"After the guests were served, Friedrich and I took all our plates from the kitchen and brought them to the table we had set up for ourselves on the patio. I think Kurt is still enjoying the Black Forest Cake, and the Brigitta was trying to teach Gretl and Marta to waltz when Friedrich, Louie and I left them."

"You will one day make a wonderful mother" the Captain noted, and Liesl's cheeks flushed red.

"But not for many years yet" he quickly added, earning him a laugh from his daughter.

"These six are a plenty handful for the minute. I'd better get back down; it's already past nine-thirty, and Gretl and Marta are getting sleepy. We thought that we'd preform our surprise soon so we can get them too bed. The excitement of the day was just a little too overwhelming."

The Captain and Maria were both surprised to hear Liesl mention the surprise – the former had completely forgotten about it, and the later had assumed that after the commotion it would be cancelled.

"Is this surprise a performance of sorts?" the Captain asked.

Liesl looked to her governess for support but seeing the distant look in Maria's eyes, she took matters into her own hands, and finally nodded, praying that he would not immediately call it off.

This would have been the Captain's initial reaction-he had distinctly told Max that his children would not perform in public. But just the mention of his former best-friends name in his thoughts was enough to make him rethink his decision. He knew that the children had worked hard on this, and he longed to see the twinkle return to their governess's eye. The final piece was the decision maker.

"I look forward to it. I'll come down with you right away."

"Will you come as well, Fraulein Maria?"

"If it is very important to you, I will" Maria consented, her eyes never leaving the tablecloth corner her fingers were playing with.

"Perhaps you could watch from the living room, where we waited this evening to be announced? No one would know you were there…you've put so much work into this Fraulein Maria – you deserve to see the final product."

Despite her upset, Maria was still Maria, and unable to say no to Liesl. With her nod, she and the Captain each took a turn in the washroom to clean up, then the three made their way down the back staircase, feeling completely out of place admixed the lively chatter coming from the rest of the house.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: A short little chapter, but I wanted to get the rest of the night posted so tomorrow, we can start to look at the next day! Thank you for the comments from the past chapters and enjoy! **

_Chapter Thirty-Three_

Late that night, once the final guest had left, the Captain stood in the foyer alone. He was emotionally exhausted, yet he knew from experience that a heavy heart and full mind would not permit him the blissful peace that sleep can provide. The children had been long ago put to bed, and he had not seen Maria since they had parted ways before the surprise. It had been his intention to leave as soon as they were done singing, yet he had found himself cornered by his guests eager to congratulate him on the children's performance, and unable to escape from their conversation without appearing rude.

Some fortune was on his side, as the guests all seemed to enjoy the remainder of the evening, and no one seemed to notice the absence of a baroness and a music producer. High spirits were all around as they slowly filed out the door in the early hours of the morning, and the Captain had managed to mimic their moods sufficiently to convince all that he was pleased they had joined in the party.

He thought about retiring to his study for a nightcap and some time with his books, yet no story seemed appealing, no subject interesting, and he had already consumed enough champagne to give him a terrible headache in the morning. His feet, no longer controlled by his mind, made their way to the sunroom, and he marveled how he was suddenly so drawn to a room he had refused to enter for so many years before this evening.

He was surprised to find the door ajar, and a light on inside. Sitting on the couch that had been moved to maximize view through the large windows was Maria, with a pale face and shaking hands pursed together in prayer. She was no longer wearing the beautiful blue dress of the evening, rather a white nightgown with her dressing gown overtop.

As quietly as he could he tried to back out of the room, but a squeaking floorboard announced his presence as the young blonde turned to meet his gaze.

"I apologize, I thought everyone was in bed" the Captain spoke softly.

"I couldn't sleep. Not in that bed." She answered, her eyes having returned to the lake-scene in front of her.

The Captain couldn't believe his insensitivity.

"We will fix that in the morning. You can spend the night in here if you'd like. I'll leave you to -"

"No, you're welcome to stay. If you want to, of course."

The Captain joined her, sitting on the other end of the couch, and followed her gaze out into the dark night. He saw the lamps that Agathe had insisted on placing around the terrace and the lake, and was struck by the beauty they created. He had never spent much time in this room while she was alive – it had been hers – and he finally understood why she had lobbied so insistently for the lights.

The two sat in silence for well over a half hour, staring at the stars and the crescent moon reflecting off the lake that rippled in the slight summer's wind. Several times the Captain would look over at Maria, checking to make sure she was still awake, and each time his heart sank as he saw the pain in her wide eyes that stared ahead without blinking.

He could recognize some of the pain- for the longest time after Agathe's death he had felt like she had deserted him – as though her death had been her choice and leaving him with the children and without her had to be his punishment for being away with the navy for so many of the important moments in their children's lives, for the lives that he had taken during the war. It had taken years for him to accept that her death had not been caused by anything more than an illness and that having the children was the blessing that she had left for him – it had taken Maria for him to realize this.

"Does it get easier?" Maria's voice was so soft that the Captain doubted his own ears, until she added "this pain?"

"I am the wrong person to ask. I mourned the loss of Agathe for five years – and not gracefully."

"It feels like I am going to break into two" her eyes never left the window, though his were now staring straight at her in concern. "I keep hoping to wake up and find this never happened."

The Captain fell silent, unable to respond. He felt the exact same way – after barely recovering from the loss of the mother of his children and his first love, he found himself again with a broken heart, and he wondered for a moment how much abuse a heart could take.

The clock was striking three in the morning when Maria finally stood. Georg had been fighting sleep for the past hour, but had refused to leave Maria alone.

"The sun will be up in a few hours and it will be time for the children to start their day." She simply stated as she gathered her dressing gown around her.

She appeared ghostly pale in the moonlight, with dark circles under her eyes.

"Let the children sleep in. They had an exciting day and could use the rest, as could you."

"But their lessons…"

"Tomorrow…well today I suppose… is Sunday, the day of rest."

Maria suddenly felt faint. "I must go to church."

Georg placed a hand on her shoulder, and forced Maria to look into his eyes.

"Rest, Maria. I am certain that the Lord will forgive you for missing one service after the evening that you have had. If you'd like, I will take you to a later mass, or you can go anytime during the week. Please, sleep here tonight."

Maria paused as she considered the Captain's suggestion, and then nodded.

"Thank you, Captain." Maria consented by sitting back down on the couch.

"Sleep well" the Captain whispered as he left the room.


	34. Chapter 34

_Chapter Thirty-Four_

The sun was rising when Maria finally fell into a fitful sleep. The only thing her mind had been processing all night was one question – why? What lesson was the Lord trying to teach in making her hurt in such a way? She already had an inability to trust most people she met because of her uncle's influence, and now she wondered if she would ever be able to trust again. The question _what could I have done differently_ made brief appearances in her inner dialogue as well, as every conversation she had ever had with Max was played over and over again.

Once she finally fell asleep, Maria found that she was unwilling to get up. Every twenty minutes from the time her mind finally shut off, she would awaken again, and the pain would start anew. Though in vain, she continued to try to find the peace of sleep even once the clock had hit nine o'clock, then ten. She could hear movement downstairs and knew that the children were awake, and from the sounds of voices the Captain was as well, but she could not bring herself to face the day.

She heard her door creak open finally at eleven-thirty, and she opened her eyes to see Liesl at the door.

"I hope I did not wake you. Father was concerned that you may be unwell and asked that I check on you."

Maria slowly forced herself to sit up on the couch she had fashioned into a bed.

"I am fine, just tired. Thank you though. I'll be come down right away."

Liesl nodded and closed the door, and Maria willed herself not to allow her body to fall back amongst the tangled sheets.

With heavy limbs, she forced herself to sit up, and into the dress Liesl had been kind enough to bring her – dark grey with small white flowers embroidered on the bodice. She limped around the room, her ankle now double the size it was supposed to be.

The children and the Captain were sitting down to lunch once she arrived in the dining hall, and she was thankful when no one commented on her tardiness.

The silence would not last long.

After Maria said grace so quickly Sister Berthe would have had her shelling peas for three years if she would have heard, the questions began - predominantly the whereabouts of the Baroness and Max, with a few scattered questions about Maria's whereabouts the night before. No one had thought to ask at breakfast, as neither were usually up at that time; however, lunch was rarely missed by both of them.

Liesl and Maria both remained perfectly silent with downcast eyes.

"They have returned to Vienna." Was the only explanation the Captain would give, despite their many questions.

"When are they coming back?" asked Brigitta suddenly.

"They won't be." The Captain replied, dismissing the subject entirely.

"Ever?" Kurt asked with a full mouth.

"Ever." The Captain confirmed with a tone of finality.

Louisa and Brigitta looked at each other, realizing there was something going unsaid—something big. Louisa had suspected something last night when Liesl had asked her and Friedrich to deliver food to their father and governess and to give them each a hug, but she had assumed that the Captain felt badly that Maria had been hurt while they were dancing together and had agreed to eat supper with her. She had many talents, but reading others was not one of them.

They immediately turned towards Liesl, so see if she noticed the tension in the room as well. She nodded at them, and passed a silent message to drop the subject. _I guess she'll tell us later. _Louisa thought to herself.

The rest of the meal passed in silence. It was the first time that Maria said nothing to the children or to the Captain while at the dinner table, but simply sat in her chair and moved the food around on her plate.

As the dishes were being cleared the Captain absentmindedly declared that they could have another week's break from their lessons, then swiftly left the dining room.

Maria stood, and softly said to them, "Today I think you can play in the yard by yourselves. Do as you wish."

The children silently walked out of the house into the yard, Maria limping behind them.

Once in the garden Kurt and Friedrich began a game of catch. Liesl pulled Louisa and Brigitta over to the side, where they could watch their governess and speak without detection.

Gretl and Marta turned to Maria. "Fraulein Maria, would you make edelweiss crowns with us?" Marta shyly asked. The two girls loved having 'their fraülein' around, and Maria usually made sure to spend plenty of time with them.

"Not today girls, I'm tired. Why don't you two go and make some with each other for a while, and maybe in a bit if I'm feeling better I'll come and join you. Is that okay?" Maria asked to the surprise of Louisa and Brigitta who still had no idea why she was acting so strangely.

The two young girls nodded and left, but with less enthusiasm than before.

Maria sat down on the grass in the middle of the sun, and soon rested her head, lying down amongst the flowers.

Liesl turned to her two sisters, and briefly explained to them what she had witnessed the night before, leaving out some of the choice words and actions she had seen. Brigitta was speechless as she stood wondering how Uncle Max could have done such a thing. Louisa was flaming angry.

"What the hell is wrong with Uncle Max?" she steamed, "Cheating on Maria with a witch like the Baroness. I always knew she was up to no good, that baroness. I mean, she wears cashmere in the middle of the summer. Who does that? And that hair! It's like a wig! That fake smile and the way she was always trying to 'be out friend'? What an act! But still…poor Father! First he looses Mother, now this! And Fraulein Maria…well I can't be certain of this but seeing she was in the abbey, I doubt she has a lot of experience with heartbreak."

Liesl nodded. "That's why she and Father are acting out of sorts toady."

"We should go and tell Fraulein Maria we are sorry." Brigitta commented. "She probably needs our support about now."

Liesl was wary about whether or not she should have even told Louie and Brigitta, but after glancing at Maria huddled up in the grass like a little girl, she agreed that Fraulein Maria needed their support.

Together the three walked up to her.

"Fraulein Maria, we just wanted to say how sorry we are for what happened, and wanted to make sure you're okay." Brigitta began, as Maria sat up.

"How do you know?" Maria asked, groggy and tired, her mind clouded with both physical and mental pain.

"I told them." Liesl stepped forward and hugged her governess. "I'm so sorry." She whispered in her ear.

"Uncle Max is rotten!" Louisa declared, but was quickly reprimanded by Liesl and Brigitta.

Maria half-smiled. "Thank you. I'll be okay once I get some rest." She lied, knowing sleep would not cure her aches. The three eldest girls sensed that their fraulein did not want company, and left to go play ball with the boys.

The Captain had spent the beginnings of the afternoon directing the cleaning crew that had come to restore his villa to its pre-party state. As soon as they were under control, he took an ice pack from the kitchen and joined his family outside, also trying to get away from the memories filling the house. The Baroness, like Max, had never been one to go outside, so the Captain felt the only place he could be at ease was where memories could not haunt him.

The Captain silently approached the resting governess and wrapped the swollen ankle in an ice pack. The surprising coldness made her jump.

"Three to five times a day for twenty minutes" he explained, then handed her an apple from his coat pocket.

"You haven't eaten in over 24 hours."

In silence Maria began plucking edelweiss and weaving them together,

"I'm not hungry." She replied, her eyes still on her ankle that was wrapped in ice.

"I know" the Captain agreed, still holding the apple out to her, which she eventually took absentmindedly and placed on the ground before continuing to wring her hands as she had been doing all day.

"Your room is being painted as we speak, and by this evening there will be a new bed for you" the Captain informed her.

"Thank you" Maria responded, without any elaboration.

As had been the case the evening before, the two sat in silence until the sun began to set over the western mountains. They remained oblivious to the shrieks of the children as they played, the warm breeze rustling their clothing, the pool of water that remained from the ice pack, and the apple that remained untouched.

"Dinner time" Frau Schmidt finally called from the back doors of the house, twenty minutes after the family was supposed to be in the dining room. She had waited for their arrival, and when they did not show up she had begun to worry. She knew what had transpired the night before – she had seen the Baroness and Max leaving the party early in a heated debate, noted the absence of the governess as the children preformed their piece, and recognized the lost, tired look on the Captain's face that morning. Not to mention her discussion with Liesl the night before. A smart woman, the pieces had come together quickly for her, and she worried about what effect these new events would have on the Captain's relationship with the children.

As she watched the Captain who was holding hands with his two youngest daughters and speaking (though in a subdued manner) to his eldest son lead his family into the dining room, she realized that perhaps she had been worried about the wrong adult. Maria was pale, sickly pale, and once seated, was unable to sit still in her seat despite her appearance of exhaustion.

The Captain was making a sublime effort to interact with his family. After the previous night's fiasco with the children's dinner, he was determined not to allow his relationship with his family to be fragmented as it had been before. He feared that any repeat may result in him losing them forever.

To his surprise, he found that as the meal continued, his jibes as Kurt's eating habits, and Louisa's stories about her and Friedrich's ongoing battle all contributed to elevating his spirits. He was far from being in a "good place", but with each smile and each laugh a straw was being lifted from the large bale on his back.

He expended so much of the little energy that remained focusing on his children that he did not notice Maria sitting opposite him. She was picking at her meal, still not eating.

Ever the observant one, Brigitta noticed. A spark of worry began in his stomach but she rationalized to herself that Maria was probably still in shock and would be herself again in a couple days. _Seriously_ she internally rolled her eyes _uncle Max can't be that hard to get over!_


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: So we've arrived at what can only be described as the darkest part of the story. I have re-read this chapter more times than any other trying to get the emotions that need to be expressed in order to really show where Maria is at this point and to get her to where I need to her be in order to start healing. Brigitta mentioned in the last chapter that Max could not be that hard to get over with, and here we see Maria allowing herself to recognize there is so much more to her grief than losing him. **

**I apologize for the cliffhanger at the end - I know there are people who really hate them! I promise to get the next chapter up as quickly as I can.**

_Chapter Thirty-Five_

The following week and a half passed with much of the same – the children's lessons were not brought up again as the adults did not think to mention it and the children didn't dare. Meals passed with the Captain making slight conversation with the children, Maria remaining silent and nibbling only the smallest bites of food. During the day the Captain would spend some time with his children, and took longs walks along the lake by himself, or with Gretl or Marta on his back. There were no trips to the mountains, no picnics, no music. Maria had inadvertently made it clear that she did not want to partake in such events. The Captain was healing day-by-day, centering his world on his children such that the rest of the world had turned to a fuzzy black and white that did not capture his attention. When he was with them he could laugh and play, easily erasing the sadness and loneliness he felt during the evenings alone in his study.

One evening late in the second week of August, after Maria had tucked the children in to bed, she quietly opened the back door to the house and walked out onto the patio as she did many evenings. She approached the bannister than surrounded the patio, and with a small jump seated herself on it so she was looking out at the lake.

It was completely silent outside, as she stared out at the water and the mountains. There were no stars or moon in the sky, blocked out by the black threatening clouds.

She finally allowed herself to think – something she had been trying her hardest to prevent for over a week by forcing herself to think of everything and anything else, from reciting the periodic table to reciting poems to singing the alphabet in reverse. She knew from previous experience that she had to face what happened to figure out where to go from here, and that this process would be vital in her healing. She was conscious that she had not been dealing with her grief, hoping it would disappear on its own despite her knowledge that it would not.

It was time.

She was tired of being sad, lonely, tired, and unmotivated. She was tired of the children slowly pulling away from her.

She could not understand why the betrayal was affecting her so dramatically. They had, after all, only known each other a few months, and she had never been the type to fall head-first into anything, let alone a man. She reasoned with herself that if she could find the source of the wound, perhaps it would be easier to fix it.

She forced herself to go back to the beginning – meeting Max at the abbey…their meetings in the small room with the warm fireplace…the music he had brought her…

_I was born to love only you_

_My soul has formed you to its measure_

_I want you as a garment for my soul_

_Your very image is written on my soul_

_Such indescribably intimacy, I hide even from you_

_All that I have, I owe to you_

_For you I was born, and for you I live_

_I want you as a garment for my soul_

_And for you I must die_

_And for you I give my last breath _

_For you_

She had always known that these lyrics were about devotion and love for God, but when she had been singing them for Max time and time again, she had often wondered if he would be the one in which she would find such a love with – a love with a strength that Plato thousands of years described as so powerful it feared Zeus himself. She had read this story many times during her Greek mythology phase as a child – how humans used to have four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces but Zeus split them so that humans would be searching for their other half to find completeness. Soul mates.

It had been Max who had, though indirectly, caused her to leave her life at the abbey and find laughter and love at the Captain's villa with the von Trapp children. He had been the catalyst that had initiated all these changes in her life.

The thought brought her back to Friedrich's chemistry lesson. A catalyst: a substance the speeds up a reaction without itself being involved. She was the substrate, it was her that had been changed; her life, her dreams, her desires, her future had all been shifted dramatically from one form to another. Max, however, was the same money-hungry womanizer he had always been, only she had been too naïve to see it from the start. He remained unchanged.

That thought angered her most, and Maria realized much of her distress was self-aimed. Her innocence, gullibility, and self-doubt were the reason she was in this situation. Yet she could not come to regret leaving the abbey and growing to love the children. It had been the best thing that ever happened to her.

And then she understood. Suddenly everything was so clear she wondered how she had overlooked it before. The worst part, Maria realized with a start, was that in a month she would have to leave everything she had grown to love in the past few months. Max leaving was only the beginning – the catalyst had worked its magic again, precipitating her realization of what else she had to lose. How quickly the ones she loved could be torn away from her, how deeply she felt for them all.

She had already learned what the Reverend Mother had hoped her to find –she could never be a nun. The moment she admitted it to herself, she recognized it to be the truth, and there could be no turning back. She had denied it for so long, but she no longer could hide behind the façade that she would be returning to the abbey at the end of the summer. After re-discovering her love of music, of laughter and children and adventure here at the villa, she knew she could never give it all up again. She knew what it was to care deeply, even to love a man, and could no longer return to her previous state of innocence. Yet with no money or marketable skills, Maria had no idea what she would be doing less than a month's time when the children would return to school and her time at the villa would be complete. They would not need her anymore.

The realization that she would soon be homeless and completely alone coupled with the thought of leaving this family was enough to break Maria in every sense possible. She had found the origin of the wound, but had no tools or skills to suture it up. Her body shook violently with sobs and the world was spinning around her out of focus. She did not realize when she fell off the bannister, and she lay crumped on the floor of the terrace. She had never felt so helpless – even in her loneliest moments as a child she had always had the hope that when she was older she would find love, would find purpose, and the power to make change. The awareness that she was now "all grown up" but still alone and lost, with no idea where to turn for help was unbearable for a woman who had always prided herself on self-reliance and a positive attitude. She no longer felt worthy to turn to the one thing that had always given her strength – she had tried to pray the evening before and had been unable because of the overwhelming guilt she had in asking for God's help after she had abandoned the abbey and lost all intention of returning.

She was physically, emotionally, and spiritually alone.

And it hurt so much more than Max's deception ever could.

The sky suddenly broke, and sheets of rain began pouring down onto her, breaking her slightly from the near catatonic state she had entered. It took her almost fifteen minutes to convince herself to stand and move indoors, by which point she was soaked with icy rainwater through and through, and shaking uncontrollably both from emotions and cold.

She barely made it to the couch in the living room beside the ballroom, too tired to climb the stairs. For the first time in a week, Maria fell into a deep sleep, completely lost in where she was going, who she could rely on and, worst of all, who she was.

* * *

The bright sunlight in the morning that so often comes after the darkest thunderstorm was not enough to wake Maria, so it was Liesl who first came across her governess. The other children and the Captain were all waiting in the dining room for their governess to show up before beginning breakfast. Maria was often late, but rarely this tardy and Liesl had begun to worry. When she found Maria's bed and the couch untouched, she had become frantic.

Seeing the woman she loved lying on the couch, her sickly-thin body curled into a tight ball, covered only in her mud-stained dress that was still damp took away Liesl's breath and made her heart race as she hurried to Maria's side.

"Fraulein Maria?" she whispered, and was relieved when her governess stirred slightly.

"It's morning. Are you alright?"

Maria's head felt like a couple kilograms of cement had been poured into her ears, and her eyes were glued together with the remnants of her tears, as she fought to make eye contact with the young woman waking her.

"I'm fine, Liesl. I must have fallen asleep while…reading" Maria came up with the quickest lie her muddled brain could muster. She knew that the girl did not believe her, but was thankful when Liesl said nothing.

"Please go ahead and eat breakfast, I'm not hungry this morning. I will meet you all out back when you're finished. I need to change." Her dress was caked with dried mud from lying in the rain.

Maria couldn't bear the thought of sitting around the dining table surrounded by the people she had cried uncontrollably over the night before, and the thought of putting anything in her stomach was nauseating. She tried to put on a strong front for the girl, but the effort was draining.

She slowly made her way up the staircase, unaware that Liesl was watching her with extreme concern – Maria moved like an old woman, as each step seemed to cause her pain. Her head was down, her shoulders hunched, and her body pale and thin.

After breakfast, the Captain retired to his study to catch up on bills. Liesl had told him that Maria would spend the morning with the children, and he really needed to get some paperwork done that he had been avoiding since the party. He looked around the halls as he walked, and admired the photographs he had of the children, of Agathe and himself, of their parents. He had removed all remembrances of the both the Baroness and Max from the house, and chosen to put up some of the pictures he had taken down years ago of the happy times from before.

As he walked down the hallways of his grand mansion towards his study, he realized how different losing Elsa had been compared with Agathe. Obviously the circumstances were drastically different, but he was proud at how he had been handling the situation. Oh there was still pain and anger, though this time the anger was not directed at himself. If he was to be quite honest, losing his best friend had been more of a blow than losing Elsa.

He reached his study just as a running, out of breath Friedrich did.

"Whoa! Slow down there!" the Captain reached out to stop his eldest son.

"It's Maria!" Friedrich gasped for air.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: On of my goals for this story was to explore the backgrounds of Maria and Georg. Here we get a little more Georg, which we will come back to later. This chapter marks the beginning of the 'upswing' so to speak. When you've hit the bottom, like Maria did in the last chapter, it can only get better. Enjoy!**

_Chapter Thirty-Six_

The Captain's heart raced at the sound of her name.

"What about her?" he asked, praying it was just that she had tipped a canoe or something similar, but fearing otherwise.

"She…she fainted! We were…"

"Take me to her and tell me on the way"

On the way, the Captain was told that she and the children had been playing tag in the back yard. Maria hadn't been 'into' the game to use Friedrich's words but had agreed after Marta had begged. Kurt was 'it' and was about to tag Maria when she just collapsed into a heap in a bed of wildflowers. The children had thought she was joking, but when Gretl kissed her on the cheek to wake the 'Sleeping Beauty', she still didn't get up. Liesl had tried shaking her, but she didn't stir so Friedrich had come to find the Captain, Liesl had stayed with Maria and Louisa had taken the little ones inside so they wouldn't worry.

Upon hearing the explanation, the Captain ran outside to the grounds. Sure enough, Maria was lying crumple up among the flowers. Strangely, she looked very peaceful, happier than she had been since the night of the party. A shiver ran down the Captain's spine, and he stopped short, and gazed at her. She looked…well like an angel lying among the colourful flowers, the reds in the flower's pigments reflecting onto her pale cheeks, giving her a faux-healthy glow.

"What should I do, father?" Friedrich's voice brought him back to reality. She was not healthy, she was in trouble.

"Go call Dr. Saeger, quick!" he ordered coming back to life as he rushed to her side. Friedrich ran into the house, his breathing heavy. The Captain approached Liesl who was by Maria's side.

Without saying a word to her, he moved beside Maria, and tapped her on the shoulders, calling in both her ears, "Maria, can you hear me? Maria wake up!"

Receiving no response, he quickly bent over her, and placed his ear directly above her mouth, and watched for the rising and falling of her chest for five seconds, praying that she was still breathing.

"Thank God" he sighed as he felt a faint warm breath on his cheek. Like a professional, he turned her onto her side in the 'semi-prone position' and thanked the Lord he had taken a lifesaving course while in the navy and knew how to tell whether or not it was an emergency.

With nothing else to do to help her , Georg sat beside Maria in the flowers, and stroked her hair, mumbling in soft tones that everything would be all right. Doctors always say that people who are unconscious can still hear human voices, and he didn't want Maria to worry.

He thought about moving her indoors, but quickly recognized it might be better to leave her in peace, just in case she had injured herself when she fell.

"Don't worry, the doctor's on her way. Don't worry, Maria. Everything will be okay. I promise." In about three seconds the Captain ran out of reassuring words. He decided to tell her a story to keep her entertained.

For some reason, only this strange story came to mind.

"After I finished at the naval academy I was sent to Australia for a training voyage. I remember that it was an incredibly long trip, and I spent most of the trip reading about our final destination. I was convinced that when we landed, it would be a land inhabited by men in white-and-black jail suits living amongst coastal forests filled with strange and unknown animals and then twenty minutes inland would be a vast desert with a large red rock. You see, I had been reading this novel all about a man that goes on a wilderness adventure in Australia, and was under the impression that this land would be my wilderness survival training. Every time I would mention my anticipation of tenting amongst the parrots or making sure to buckle my shoes so I wouldn't step on the reptiles, my senior officers would go along with what I was saying, nodding and making comments about rationing water and the risks of scorpion bites. Needless to say when we pulled into Sydney, a city so much larger than Salzburg, I was convinced that we had gotten lost and were only stopping for directions. It took me two days to figure out where we were. When I figured it out and approached the senior officers, they told me to always remember that things may not always be as they appear- just because one book describes a place in a certain way, does not mean that is how things truly are. He may have been a little drunk, in retrospect."

The Captain had been staring into space, laughing internally at his own naivety and stupidity.

"Did you see any koala bears?" Maria's weak voice brought him back.

"Maria!" he exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

"Did you?" she repeated, a small smile on her face.

"I got to hold one, yes, and he peed on me. How do you feel?"

Maria knew enough first aid to recognize her body was in shock from having fainted. The world was spinning around her, her stomach queasy, her temperature fluctuating between overheated and chilled, and she could see her hands and legs visibly shaking.

"I'm fine" she answered, unable to look the man in the eye. She could feel tears rolling down her cheeks, her body's fearful reaction to fainting, to the overwhelming sense of losing control.

"No, you're not. I have called the doctor, and she will be here soon."

"No Captain, please. I don't need to see the doctor, I'm perfectly fine."

"No, Maria, you're not."

"Yes I am!" if the situation wasn't so serious, the Captain would have laughed at her stubbornness.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you're alright." Responded calmly. Maria shifted her gaze around, but couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Maria" he began in a soft voice so the children wouldn't hear him. "Is there a reason why you don't want to see the doctor?"

Maria paused for a moment, considering how to answer his question.

She nodded, her eyes still downcast as she struggled to control her rapid breathing and keep stomach contents at bay.

"Would you tell me why?"

Maria shook her head.

"Maria…you can tell me anything."

"I just dislike doctors. And I'm fine." she simply answered, her tone clear that the subject was to be at rest.

"Alright you're fine. But please…please let her take a look at you. As a personal favour to me."

Maria's eyes were already closing, her body exhausted. "For you..." She consented.

After thinking for about a millisecond, the Captain nodded. "Very well." And with one smooth motion whisked her up into her arms like a child. She hadn't mentioned any pain to indicate an injury and would be better off in her own bed when the doctor arrived. She was already asleep against his chest by the time he reached the back door. He marveled at how light she was, and frowned in concern as he felt her ribs poking into him as he carried her indoors.

He was too relived that she was going to be alright to think about how it must look—a baron carrying his beautiful governess into the house. He had still taken no notice of Liesl, but she had taken a great deal of notice in what she had just witnessed.

_What was with the story? _Her inner dialogue began. _ Since when does father tell stories about the navy? He never told us he had been to Australia. And calling the doctor? Father hasn't phoned the doctor since Dr Fritz told him there was nothing that could be done for mother. Even when Louisa force-fed Marta a spoonful of bugs and when Friedrich broke his arm after tripping on a root while we were 'marching about the grounds breathing deeply', Father took us into town to see the doctor. None have come here in years!_

Puzzled, she followed her father indoors.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Due to 'patient confidentiality' this chapter couldn't follow the good doctor into the room with Maria :) **

**Just wanted to note, that during the 1930s antidepressants hadn't been invented, and the principle treatment modality was electroshock therapy. Just to put the doctor's comments in context for anyone who is familiar with the normal patient management. **

**To everyone who has been reviewing - thank you so much, as always. You're my constant stress reliever as I prepare for finals!**

_Chapter Thirty-Seven_

The Captain was putting a sleeping Maria in her bed, just as Liesl and Friedrich led Dr. Saeger into the governess's room. He gestured they speak out in the hallway, clicking the door to the bedroom door closed behind him.

"Thank you so much for coming, doctor." The Captain shook the young lady's hand. She was only 32 and German, rumoured to be a very good doctor who had moved to Salzburg for love. He was surprised at how young she looked – almost like she could be Maria's older sister. Her long blonde hair was pinned away from her face, and despite the nature of her job, a friendly smile graced her face. Her sage green eyes, however, contrasted with the clear blue he was used to.

"Happy to help, Captain." She was delighted to finally meet the sea captain and father of seven whom so many people in town spoke of. "What can I do for you today?"

"It's a bit of a story I'm afraid. I was walking down to my study, when my eldest son, Friedrich, the one who called you, came and told me that Ma—Fraulein Maria, " he suddenly corrected himself "had collapsed outside. I ran out to check on her and told Friedrich to call you. She was breathing but unconscious. I spoke to her for a few minutes before she awoke and I asked if she could walk in, but she fell asleep, so I carried her inside and away from the heat."

"Good thinking. By talking to her she was probably more comfortable, and it may have helped to her wake up. I have just a few questions, and then would like to check her over."

The Captain nodded, and Dr. Saeger was relieved that he agreed. So often these aristocrats were determined to do things a certain way that they would risk the health of a loved one just to be correct.

"What was she doing when she fainted?"

"I believe her and the children were playing tag."

"Did she hit her head when she fell?"

"Not that I know of. She was in no pain when she woke up."

"How long was she unconscious for?"

"Maybe three or four minutes? No more than ten for sure."

"Has this happened in the past?"

The Captain shook his head. "Not that I know of. She has only been with us since the beginning of the summer."

Dr. Saeger nodded, and mumbled to herself that she would have to wake Maria up to take a full medical history.

"Have you noticed any changes in her behavior recently?"

The three looked at each other with hesitation. The doctor recognized the look.

"Please know that whatever you tell me is in the strictest confidence. Whatever you say will not leave this home."

"Just over a week ago, Fraulein Maria walked in on her…boyfriend I suppose you would call him…with another woman. She was very upset- he was the first man to ever win her affections. I do believe that she has been getting better though…" the Captain paused, as he realized he had absolutely no idea how Maria had been dealing with the heartbreak. He had been so wrapped up in preserving his relationship with his children and healing himself that he hadn't really _looked_ at Maria in a very long time. He couldn't remember the last conversation they had – and conversations with her were usually unforgettable. As he remembered her pale, sickly form, he realized that he had missed something…something very big.

"Perhaps you two have noticed something?" he asked the two children weakly, as he leaned against the door behind feeling a little faint. As he listened to his children as they described the Maria that they had seen for the past week and a half, he felt ill as he recognized his neglect.

Liesl squared her shoulders to the doctor, so she wouldn't have to look at her father when she corrected him.

"Fraulein Maria has been unwell since that evening. At first I thought it was grief and that she would recover in a couple days, but obviously I was wrong."

"Can you tell me specifically what you mean by unwell?" Dr. Saeger gently asked, meeting Liesl's gaze directly.

"Right after the…incident…she suddenly became very quiet, and fraulein Maria is never quiet. She has barely eaten since that night – she may take a bite her and bite there, especially when the little ones would say something to her, but mostly she just rearranges food on her plate. She rarely sleeps, and has been complaining of headaches since that night. And Fraulein Maria never complained about anything."

"Has she been getting better or worse?" The doctor's suspicions were being piqued.

"In retrospect worse, though I hadn't really noticed until today. The night of the party my brothers and sisters and I were to perform a singing number fraulein Maria had arranged for us. Though she wasn't excited about it, she came down to watch us and even managed some smiles for us afterwards. Nowadays, she spends her days staring into space and playing with her hands. Everything that she used to love she refuses to participate in."

Liesl paused for a breath, uncertain how much to tell the doctor about.

"What happened today that was different?" Dr. Saeger recognized the torn look on the young woman's face as her eyes darted to and away from her father.

Liesl took a deep breath and continued.

"This morning when fraulein Maria was late for breakfast, I went to look for her and found that her bed had not been slept her. I finally found her asleep on the sofa in the living room. Dr. Saeger, her dress was wet and filled with mud as though she had been outside in that storm, and right knee and elbow were both bruised and crusted with dry blood, like she had perhaps fallen…"

A gasp came from Friedrich, and all the others in the hallway turned to look at the boy who was blanched.

"What is it?" Dr. Saeger asked as calmly as she could.

"I saw her. Fraulein Maria. Last night I couldn't sleep and was reading in my chair by the window, and I saw her sitting on the patio. She was too far away for me to make out her face, but I remember she was holding her head in her hands a lot, and then at one point she fell off the railing and onto the deck. I got really worried because she didn't get up, and then the storm started and I was going to go get you, Liesl, but then Marta and Grerl were suddenly in my room because they were scared of the storm, and Kurt woke up when we were singing My Favourite Things, and then we got into a pillow fight and I completely forgot about Maria!"

Friedrich was slowly turning green, and it was obvious the boy was going to be sick if she didn't intervene quickly. Dr. Saeger quickly had him sit with his back against the wall.

"Whatever happened to Maria has been building up for some time, Friedrich. It is not your fault that she fainted today, or that she is unwell. I am here, and I promise I will do everything I can to help her. Now I have a job for you. Do you think you can help me?"

Friedrich nodded, and the doctor was happy to see some of the green was fading. She had learned a long time ago that the best thing to do in a situation like this was to keep the boy busy until he could see that his governess was feeling better. Guilt was an extremely strong emotion.

"I need you to go downstairs, and let your brothers and sisters know that Maria will be fine. Tell them that I need to spend about a half hour to an hour with her, asking her some questions and then checking her over to make sure that she is healthy, and then once I am finished, if she is up for it, perhaps they could come up and see her later tonight or tomorrow. Can you do this for me?"

Friedrich nodded, and left the room without meeting the gaze of his sister or his father.

The Captain listened in astonishment at the descriptions Liesl and Friedrich had given of the woman who had given him and his family so much. The guilt rising in his chest was nauseating as he realized he had again alienated, someone who meant so much to him. How had he missed all the warning signs? And furthermore, how could he have expected Maria to be alright after it had taken him years to heal from losing his wife – who had not cheated on him or left on her own free will.

Dr. Saeger was addressing Liesl.

"You know a lot about your governess" she noted.

"She's my best friend." Liesl answer in a point-of-fact manner.

"I'm going to wake Maria now" the doctor was explaining to the two, and the Captain brought his attention back to the present. "I'd like to speak with her alone for a while, and then do my exam. If the two of you wouldn't mind staying nearby, I will come and find you once I am finished or if there are any more questions Maria cannot answer herself."

"We will be in the room at the end of the hall – we will leave the door open." The Captain had already made up his mind. "Dr Saeger, please. Whatever she needs…price is no deterrent." He didn't care how many questions his comment could raise if the doctor did not maintain her vow of confidentiality. The only outcome he cared about was Maria's health.

The Captain led Liesl to the sun room, which was bright with mid-afternoon sunshine. Outside he could see the other children playing, though half-heartedly, a game of kickball led by Friedrich.

Both were silent for a moment, before the Captain broke the silence.

"Do you think she will forgive me?"

Liesl didn't have to ask who the elusive 'she' was, but questioned him what the forgiveness was for.

"For not seeing this coming. For not recognizing all the warning signs that she was not alright. For shutting her out of my mind because I couldn't bear to see her pain without recognizing my own."

The Captain was no longer speaking to Liesl as his daughter, but as the friend of the woman that he had hurt so badly.

"It is fraulein Maria, father. Of course she will forgive you."

"It is Maria…" he agreed softly as he looked out at the children.

After ten more minutes of silence, Liesl finally asked the question that had been bothering her for so long.

"Father? How could Uncle Max do this to Maria?"

"Well Max is-"

The Captain was cut off by his daughter.

"I don't mean Uncle Max in specific, but anyone. How can someone do that to the person they love the most in the world?"

"My darling, you're sixteen. Far too young to worry about the pain of love."

"Father, I am already worried. Please…I don't understand, and I want to help fraulein Maria however I can."

Really looking at his daughter, the Captain no longer saw the little girl who had stars in her eyes at the Innsbruck ballet, rather a young woman who loved deeply and wholeheartedly. He conceded to her wish.

"I can't begin to imagine what Max was thinking, although I suspect that there has been something between him and Elsa for some time now, possibly even before he introduced us. I cannot believe that I did not see this to begin with. How could I have been naïve enough to think that Max would just hand over a woman dripping in money and social status like Elsa?"

"Then if they were so right together, why did they involve you and fraulein Maria?" Liesl asked, confused. In her eyes the world worked like a storybook – when you were with someone you were two parts of whole. There were no deceptions or games.

"That is the question, isn't it? My guess, for what it is worth, is that Elsa refused to be with Max in the public's eye – he is a self-made man and her social standing would suffer should she not be with a man from old money. Some bullshit tradition these people keep. My guess would be that Elsa kept Max on a string by giving him money and connections by acting as friends in the public eye."

"But to what end for her?"

"From what little of their interaction I saw, I believe that Elsa was more emotionally invested in Max than he was in her. I imagine that it was at her insistence to find a husband that Max became involved with her public relationships, and I suppose that Max chose me as her next potential husband in an effort to harness her money into our family. He knew what was mine was his." he laughed bitterly.

"Did you care for the Baroness like you did mother?"

Liesl's question brought about a pause so long that she was certain she had overstepped her boundaries. She had wondered this often, ever since she met the blonde who unlike mother she remembered in every way possible.

"No, I suppose I didn't" the Captain finally responded, with incredulity to his voice. "I never felt like I _had_ to be with your mother. I loved spending time with her, with all of you. Being with Agathe was a choice. When I look back these are the happiest memories I have from those times, when we were all together. Elsa was more my lifeboat – for the longest time I felt like I had to be around her no matter how miserable I was at the balls we attended or the events we partook in. Without her I felt like I was adrift alone at sea,"

"Why?"

"I know it must be hard to understand, but Liesl everything that reminded me of your mother hurt so badly after she died, and when I met Elsa I was at the point where I couldn't handle the hurt anymore. Because Elsa was so different, she didn't bring back memories, and I could hide in her world. When she wasn't around I had to face reality, something I wasn't strong enough or brave enough to do. I know-"

The Captain's words were stopped as Dr. Saeger tapped lightly on the open door.

Both the Captain and Liesl were instantly on their feet.

"How is she?" the Captain fought in vain to keep the anxiety out of his voice.

"She will be alright. She gave me permission to talk about her condition with you." The doctor responded, and gestured towards the couch, where the three of them sat.

"As a naval officer, I would assume you would appreciate bluntness, so here are the facts, Captain. Symptoms of sadness, loss of interest and concentration, grief, insomnia, and lack of appetite and energy are textbook depression. Though not a great deal of time has passed since these symptoms began, I am worried to see that her grief has not been at all alleviated, rather it is becoming worse. I'm not convinced she has true depression; however, it was wise to call me today so she can be monitored carefully I wish we had a medication I could give her to lift her spirits but unfortunately there are no such medications. I hope by acting now, we might be able to elevate her mood before she falls in too deep, so to speak. Normally we treat depression with electroconvulsive therapy; however, Maria has refused this treatment. She does, however, seem genuinely hopeful of a full recovery, which is the most important sign. I spoke with her about her eating habits, and she has agreed to eat frequent small meals instead of any large amount at once. I ask that someone sits with her whenever she is eating so that she has some company. I would suggest she not join family meals for a little while – the pressure of a lot of food and that many people at once may be too much for her."

The Captain nodded solemnly.

"There is something else."

A pause.

"More than anything, Maria needs someone to talk to. I suggested a psychologist or counselling, but she rather vehemently refused. While I was with her she mentioned some of the things that have been on her mind, and they extend well past her breakup. I don't know how much she has told you about her past-"

"I am aware of what she went through while growing up and in the abbey" the Captain interjected, ignoring Liesl's surprise. She had no idea what the doctor and her father were talking about, and her surprise was twofold: one that Maria's life had not been as joyous as her demeanor, and two that she had spoken to her father about such affairs.

"Then she has probably told you more than she would tell me. About the breakup, she was quiet, and did not want to discuss much with me – I feel that she did not want to disclose secrets that perhaps are not hers alone. If you know anybody that she is close to, I would strongly suggest that she is given the opportunity to free of her mind of the worries that are plaguing her. This will do so much more good than any medication ever could."

"I will look into it today." The Captain rose and extended his hand. "Thank you very much Dr. Saeger – your promptness and efficiency is very much appreciated. Please send the bill directly to me and I will take care of it immediately."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Captain, Liesl. If she continues to worsen please call me and we can arrange further treatment. I will call in three days to check in. I have given Maria a sleeping pill so she can make up some of the rest she has missed. She should not wake up until morning. I see that your other children are eager to hear about their governess so I will let myself out. Auf weidersein."

Sure enough, when the Captain turned to look out the panoramic view the windows offered, twelve eyes were watching their exchange closely. He signaled for them to come up, and soon the pounding footsteps were heard climbing up the stairs.

The Captain waited as patiently as he could as he was plummeted with questions, until the room slowly fell silent.

"Fraulein Maria will be fine. The doctor has given her something so that she will sleep until tomorrow morning, and she won't be joining us for meals for a few days. She may be sleepy and sad for a few days, but hopefully soon she'll be able to take you on your little adventures again."

The Captain didn't know how to explain something like depression to his children, and hoped that this little 'brush-over' would suffice. He was sure that Liesl would explain to Friedrich and Louisa, and probably Brigitta too he realized, a little more detail about what was going on, but he didn't want to trouble the young girls.

"Is Maria sick like mother was?" Marta's eyes were wide. She had very little to no memory of her mother, but had heard from her siblings that she had died because of illness.

The Captain swallowed a large lump in his throat, and noted that many of his children wore similar worried expressions on his face.

"Oh no my darling- nothing like your mother. Maria will be well very soon, I promise." And the Captain was determined to do whatever it would take to keep this promise.

"What can we do?" Louisa asked in a tone that he rarely heard from his firecracker of a daughter.

"Tonight there's nothing we can do for her. Tomorrow once she is awake I'm sure she would love some company."

Dinner was quiet, despite the Captain trying to encourage conversation. The empty chair at the end of the table reminded many members of the room when the same chair was empty, a different loved-up upstairs in bed under doctor's orders. The reminder was enough to stifle the appetites of most in the room, and Frau Schmidt noted that they would be having roast beef sandwiches for lunch the next day to use up all the leftovers.

As the children were preparing to go to bed, the Captain pulled his eldest daughter aside.

"Liesl, I understand if you wouldn't feel comfortable, but would you consider spending the night in Maria's room? I don't want her to be alone if she wakes up."

Liesl agreed quickly to her father's plan.

"If she does wake and needs anything, please come and get me immediately." He instructed, and Liesl did not question his request. The two of them tucked in the other children, and moved blankets and a pillow into the governess's room, where Liesl made herself a little bed out of the easy chair that the Captain had moved to sit right beside Maria's bed.

Liesl yawned and snuggled into her "bed" for what would be a very long night, fraught with worry.

The Captain's night was not destined to be any better. Once in bed he tossed and turned, worried that Liesl would not be able to wake him if he fell into a deep sleep. He could practically feel the wheels in his mind turning as he processed the events of the day, and his blindness. His mind knew that there was no use feeling guilty, as what was done was done, but as is often the case, his reason and his heart could not be at peace.

Finally when the clock struck one in the morning he allowed himself to get up. Pulling on his slippers, he quietly moved down the hallway, past the staircase, and towards the governess's room. He was relieved to notice that there were no lights visible from under the door. As quietly as he could, he opened the door and stood in the entranceway, his eyes roaming past the sleeping figure of his daughter and to the woman curled into a ball on the bed. He allowed himself to stay for only thirty seconds, then quietly clicked the door shut on his way out.

His mind at ease that all was well, he made his way back to his room, where he again fell into a fitful sleep. Just over an hour later, he would repeat this process, and twice more after that before morning. Each time he found the same scene, but the visual stimuli calmed the sickness in his stomach and allowed him just over a half hour of sleep before the restlessness would start again.

Unbeknownst to him, his actions that night did not go unobserved. The eyes of his sixteen year old daughter, concealed by the darkness, watched her father closely on each of these visits, her mind reeling.


	38. Chapter 38

**_Chapter Thirty-Eight_**

The Captain was already awake when the sun started to show over the mountains, and was occupying his time in an activity he hadn't done in years – making breakfast. Not for himself or the children – anything that complicated would have ended disastrously, and the cook was hard at work beside him, trying desperately not to show his dismay at the Captain's presence.

On a tray, he placed a small dish of yogurt and another of fruit he had peeled and cut into small pieces. One slice of toast and a single scrambled egg was added to the tray, as well as a cup of Maria's favourite tea. In the middle of the tray lay a single edelweiss flower he had picked from the yard.

Though he had no idea when Maria would be waking, he was willing to continue to scramble her eggs and toast her bread until she woke up. He was that determined to get her to eat.

Footsteps on the stairs were heard, and Liesl entered with red cheeks. She didn't have to say anything for the Captain to get her message – Maria was awake, and he wouldn't be re-making eggs all day after all.

The Captain thanked Liesl for the message, told her to get some rest in her own bed for a couple hours before the others would be up, and made his way to the governess's room, tray in hand.

"Good morning." He announced himself, as he knocked slightly on the opened door.

Maria pulled her quilt up more snugly around her and offered him a slight smile. The Captain's stomach settled immediately as he saw just a touch of light in her eyes and he marveled at the healing powers of sleep.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he placed the tray on the dresser. They could get to that soon enough.

"Tired, which I know is ridiculous." Maria answered honestly.

"Not in the least. You haven't slept in days." He responded, taking a seat in the chair where Liesl had slept after pulling it alongside the bed.

"Or nights" Maria responded with a smile to let him know she was joking. Though he knew there was truth to her statement, her attempt at a joke made the Captain laugh out loud out of pure relief.

"It is very early – would you like to sleep for another few hours?"

"No" Maria shook her head. "I have been horizontal for too long already." She pushed herself up into a sitting position so her back was resting on the headboard.

"In that case, could I possibly interest you in some breakfast?"

The Captain felt the atmosphere of the room shift, as Maria turned a little green at the thought of the heavy breakfasts, filled with fried meats and heavy breads that the children usually enjoyed.

"Not a meal, just a snack." He corrected himself, as he gestured to the tray that he brought in. "I didn't know what you would feel like eating, so brought up some yogurt and fruit, and just a little egg and toast. They are all very easy on the stomach. If any of it looks appetizing, it is all yours. I won't be insulted if you can't, though. If there is something else that you would like I'll go down to the kitchen and make it right away."

Maria recognized his efforts – Dr. Saeger had naturally informed her of the meal plans for the next few days until her stomach settled, and Maria could see the effort the Captain was making to accommodate.

"That sounds wonderful." She agreed, more out of a desire to thank the Captain for his kindness than hunger.

To Maria's surprise, after the Captain set the food down in front of her, he took a seat in the chair.

"Captain, I'm sure you have better things to do than watch me eat." In all truth she was happy to have him there. The sleep worked wonders, but the long discussion with Dr. Saeger the day before had been a turning point. Unbeknownst to the Captain they had discussed many of the worries Maria had recognized the night before in the storm. Though they had not come to any conclusions, the simple act of giving her innermost worries a voice had helped to reduce some of her anxiety. Far from perfect, she felt better than she had in a couple weeks.

"Not a thing. The children are all asleep, and I am always looking for an excuse to get out of paperwork."

"Paperwork?" Maria asked, and the Captain was relieved to see her picking up the fork to eat a mouthful of egg.

"Bills mostly. A few letters to write to some old friends from the navy."

"You must have met some incredible people in the service" Maria noted, biting into the toast.

"There were some very good men. None with boating skills akin to your own though, lucky for all of us." The Captain didn't want to get into a serious subject like war over breakfast, and was overjoyed to hear her laugh again. Distracted by his dialogue, she was eating and he was ecstatic.

"If I remember correctly, Captain, I am not the only person in this room who has tipped a canoe in the past couple of months." The eggs were gone, and she lifted her spoon for yogurt.

"Can I help it if my crew pulled rank on their captain and threw me out to sea?" He laughed. "If only my men had their cunningness."

"Excuses, excuses." Maria smiled slightly, surprised at how light-hearted she felt talking to him. She had dropped the spoon and was using her fingers to dip the fruit into the yogurt. This is what she had needed all along – a sense of normalcy. The only person she had to talk to was the Captain, and since walking in on Elsa and Max, all their discussions had been solemn and miserable. His good spirits seemed to be contagious. "And if your men would have had even a shred of the children's ability to scheme, I imagine that you would have been fearing not only for your life, but for your sanity by the end of the war."

"I see you heard the stories about their pranks on their previous governesses."

"They were both pleased and proud of their results. But really- where they got those ideas?!" The Captain couldn't believe the change he was seeing in her. It gave him hope that Dr. Saeger was right and her low mood may not be a true, lasting depression after all. He would talk to her nonstop for weeks if that could cause such an improvement.

"Their ability to analyze personalities within varying contexts, and determine the best course of action to achieve the maximal desired response is truly remarkable. Or at least that's how Brigitta explains their collective scheming technique. I remember when Agathe was expecting her – Kurt was just a baby, but Louisa and Friedrich led by big-sister Liesl were plenty to cause problems. Liesl, in her five-year old mind was determined that bringing a fourth child into the household was unacceptable. At the time she, of course, had no idea where babies came from and was under the impression that they were bought from a store in Switzerland. Years later when I asked her where she got this idea, she explained that she would watch Agathe and I leave, remembered us being away for a few days, and then return with a baby, and the furthest destination that she could think of that we could be going was Switzerland. Anyways, on this occasion she was determined to stop us from 'purchasing' another child – and it was quite the plan for a five year old. She could tell that her mother was more tired than usual, naturally due to the pregnancy, and believed that if she wore out her mother enough, she would not want to make the long trip. She sent little Louisa up to the bedroom with strict instructions to ask Agathe to play with her, and cry whenever Agathe mentioned she wanted to go to bed. With part one going on, Liesl also Friedrich pretend to be sick in his bed and calling for me, hoping that I would not leave a sick child at home. With both her parents busy upstairs, Liesl carried out 'phase three' which consisted of emptying the fridge completely so that the food all went bad, and hiding the guitar. She later reasoned that those were the two things that we would miss the most, and be willing to spend our money on instead of another child."

Maria could feel the warmth of happiness spread through her, and it was like welcoming back an old friend.

"And despite all that planning, I ended up with not only one, but three more sisters and one brother" Liesl had joined them at some point during the Captain's story and was standing in the doorway while curiously watching the strange interaction between the Captain and her governess. The Captain very rarely spoke about the events from the children's childhoods, and she was certain that Kurt, and all the children born after him, had never heard about these times.

"I just came up to see if you would be joining us for breakfast, or if we should go ahead and eat. Everyone is dressed and downstairs already."

The Captain was surprised to see that it was already nine in the morning – he had spent almost two hours with Maria.

"Please go, Captain. I'll get dressed and meet you all downstairs once you are finished."

"You are more than welcome to join us"

Maria looked down at her plate, where all that remained was half a piece of toast.

"I am completely full – though surprisingly not feeling ill. Thank you so much for breakfast and the story, Captain."

"Any time, Maria."

Taking the tray with him, the Captain followed his eldest daughter out of the room, and once the door clicked closed the warmth that Maria had begun to feel disintegrated as she was once again alone.

The day passed like all the rest in the near past. The Captain had such high hopes after their conversation that morning that the Maria who had taken him and his children all over Salzburg and the countryside all in an effort to promote the children's education would emerge down the stairs, but instead her eyes were downcast, her shoulders hunched. He did notice some colour to her cheeks, and chastised himself for hoping for so much so fast – baby steps.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: This is probably one of my favourite Maria/Georg moments, because it shows (at least I hope) that Maria really trusts him, finally opening up about everything that has been bothering her. And I loved writing Georg's version of a favourite song :) **

_Chapter Thirty-Nine_

The next evening, after the children were asleep, the Captain was making his way to his room when he noticed that the door to Maria's was open. As casually as he could, he strolled by and was surprised to find that the room was empty, the bed still made. The clock on the bedside informed him that it was already past midnight, and therefore high time that everybody in the house should be in bed. Heart pounding he started his search.

After tucking the children in hours ago, Maria had told the Captain that she was going to read in her room. She had hoped that this activity would calm the neurons firing at maximal speed in her brain, and allow her some escapism, but found herself unable to settle down with a book. It seemed like everything either had a romantic aspect to it (and there is nothing more painful than reading about love when you have just lost it) or were terribly depressing. At around eleven she had finally given up, and made her way down to the living room where, much to her luck, she had found the guitar.

She had always dreamed of composing, though she had never had an adequate instrument until she joined the abbey, at which point casual playing was frowned upon. That evening the sounds emerging from the vibrating strings were filled with melancholy. Instead of escaping, her own music pulled her deeper downwards, and the tears she had been holding back for most of the afternoon emerged. It was not a physically-shaking howling cry of anguish, but a heartbreaking constant stream of tears accompanied by the occasional sob. The more she cried, the angrier she became with herself for becoming so upset again, and thus the cycle perpetuated itself.

Twenty minutes passed in this state before Maria, who had always prided herself on her courage and resilience, began to pluck out some very familiar notes on the guitar. E B B F# F# E.

She made it through the first stanza of "My Favourite Things" played purely on the guitar and then began again from the beginning. She nearly jumped with shock as a deep voice joined her playing, singing the same tune that she had composed so many years ago; however, the words had changed. She listened with wonder as the Captain made his way into the small room, his eyes never leaving hers as he sang the words to his version of her song.

**_Ships on blue oceans and bellowing orders_**

**_Mozart's fourth movement and books' golden borders_**

**_Branches on oak trees, I laugh while you swing,_**

**_These are a few of my favourite things_**

The Captain joined Maria on the couch. She re-commenced strumming along as he continued.

**_Das Land der Berge und das land am strome_**

**_Small bright white flowers and comforts of home_**

**_Seven warm smiles from the joys that you bring,_**

**_These are a few of my favourite things_**

**_Snooping in ballrooms and pinecones at mealtime_**

**_Dancing the Laendler and mountains that we climb_**

**_Shivers I get down my spine when you sing_**

**_These are a few of my favourite things_**

Maria joined him in a quiet voice for the remainder of the song, which he had left untouched.

**_When the dogs bite,_**

**_ When the bees sting,_**

**_ When I'm feeling sad_**

**_ I simply remember my favourite things_**

**_ And then I don't feel so bad._**

The Captain couldn't help but laugh at the stunned expression on the governess's face. It was a rare occurrence for him to be able to surprise her with anything.

"Did you write that?" she asked quietly, though the answer was starkingly clear. The lyrics the Captain had sang were so…him.

"Well I tried to convince Frau Schmidt to write it for me, but apparently her versatility doesn't extend that far."

"It is wonderful."

"It's true."

"When did you find time to write it?" Maria asked, remembering how long her rendition of the same song took her, though admittedly she had been much younger at the time.

"Do you remember that day on the mountain when I made you sing it for me?"

Maria nodded.

"Well for some reason the day after the ball all I could think about was that song you were singing, and the tune was stuck in my head though I couldn't remember your lyrics. It happens when you get older I guess. All I knew was it was about your favourite things. And I guess as I hummed, my mind started to fill in some of the notes until I had a song."

"I am touched that you shared it with me." Maria responded honestly. She knew how intimidating it was to share something as private as lyrics, let alone when they were personal like these.

"I thought it should be shared by the woman who inspired it." Though the Captain meant this comment in as innocent a manner as possible – it was her composition and he had hoped that her hearing it would brighten her day a little. Somehow the opposite effect seemed to transpire.

Before his eyes, tears began to run down the young woman's face again until she was a sobbing mess, in much worse shape than he had ever seen her, including the night when all this had began.

Maria had tried for so long to keep herself together, especially around the Captain, but his kind words were enough to break the dam.

In one month she would not only be losing the children, she would be losing him.

Her reaction angered her further – it seemed like all she had been doing for the past couple of weeks had been crying, but she seemed completely unable to control herself.

The Captain placed a hand on her shoulder as she buried her face in her hands, and waited quietly until her sobs quieted slightly.

"Maria, please talk to me." He begged, not only because of the instructions of the doctor, but also because he was certain she was crying for something other than Max, and had a hunch it was something that he could help with. "I meant what I said in the garden before – you can tell me anything. Whatever is causing you this pain, let me share it with you. I make no guarantee that I can fix the problems, but I do promise with everything that I am that you will feel better."

In weeks to follow, Maria would never be able to fully understand what it was that made her open up to the man beside her- perhaps it was the butterflies caused by his rendition of her song accompanied by the knowledge of what if meant for him to share it with her; perhaps it was because of all the stories he had told her about his time at war and his family; or perhaps it was because of the shivers that briefly convulsed throughout her entire body when he hand came to rest on her shoulder. Regardless of the reason Maria, after two weeks of silence, finally brought down the walls around her that she had been so carefully constructing.

"I'm so frightened."

The Captain's surprise was two-fold: he had expected to be brushed off or blocked out, and moreso the answer that she gave puzzled him.

"Frightened of what?"

Maria's eyes remained down as she answered.

"Next month."

The Captain wracked his mind for what was happening in September – the beginning of autumn, Kurt's birthday, back to school…ah, there the light came on.

"Why are you frightened to return to the abbey?" the Captain asked with curiosity, and Maria was surprised that he was able to figure out so much from her saying so little.

"Because I won't be returning." She spoke so softly the Captain could barely make out her words, but from the way that she unconsciously clutched the cross she wore around her neck and her entire frame shook as she took in a deep breath he was certain that he was hearing correctly.

Though shocked, he was filled with an unexpected relief at her announcement. From that day by the river, when she had given him such a harsh verbal lashing, he had been certain that the abbey was not the place for a spitfire like Maria, though he did not doubt her faith and devotion for a moment.

"Why not?" He had to hear her reasoning.

"Because…because these past few months I have seen what I have never known – what it is like to have a family, to be protected and loved, to have complete freedom. And to return to the life I had before I knew any of this, without any of this, oh Captain I just can't!"

He waited, his fingers tracing patterns on her shoulder and back.

"But to leave the abbey, and without the blessing of the Lord, what will become of me? I have no money, no connections, no family to turn to. When I was young I was so excited about the future, and all of its promise of possibilities, but now it is as if all of these choices have been ripped away and there is nowhere to turn. I need work, but the only job possibilities given my lack of experience would involve either working in a restaurant or a store, and with my clumsiness I would be fired immediately. And I would be living in the streets because I have no money to pay rent or buy food!"

Maria broke down again, but the Captain remained silent, sensing there was more coming.

Her face was still hidden between her fingers as she continued, these confessions nearly flooring the Captain.

"And even if I could find a job and a place to stay, I would still be alone. Like before. Like always. And a couple months ago that would have been fine, but now I don't think I could survive it. The happiest memories that I have, I made since my arrival here – spending time with the children, singing, dancing, even when I think about Max I remember feeling loved and cherished. The children, they have become my family, and the thought of leaving them fills me with a nauseating dread. I don't know how to say goodbye, how I can possibly walk away from the joy and love that fills this home, and move towards the future knowing only that it could never contain the same."

Tears were streaming down her face, and the Captain's arm had unconsciously wrapped itself around the woman who was unable to control the words streaming from her heart.

"And I know that I will never find this happiness again, because my being here was God's greatest gift to me. The Reverend Mother sent me here saying it was God's will, and because I followed His command, I found everything I have been searching for my entire life. But if I leave the abbey, how will He ever look down on me with the same kindness and generosity? If I leave the abbey I am betraying Him, but if I stay I am betraying myself. Either way I will never be truly happy, fulfilled."

Maria body went limp as she allowed herself to partially lean on the Captain, she was so emotionally drained she physically could not support herself. Yet by putting it all out in the open, the weight on her shoulders had been lifted slightly.

The Captain allowed her to rest there for a full ten minutes, processing everything she had just told him. He mentally slapped himself for not realizing that she would have been having these concerns, and tried not to dwell on how difficult it must have been for her to keep all this bottled up for so long. It was a wonder she had not completely fragmented.

When her body stilled, the Captain gently moved away from Maria enough that she was forced to support her own weight. With one hand on either side of her face, he gently wiped away the tears with his thumbs and forced her eyes into his own.

"Maria" the Captain began, "you have so much joy, so much hope, and so much faith. You are stronger than I can ever hope to be, and are the epitome of everything I hope for my children to become. I am so sorry you have been fighting with this for so long - I should have been there for you to talk to as soon as these worries began. Now I need you to listen to me."

The Captain's voice took on an air of authority, and Maria's attention sharpened on him.

"We are going to work through this together. I promise you. You are going to stay here at the villa as long as you like." The Captain saw Maria was about to protest, but he continued on "When the children return from school in the afternoons you can maintain your duties as governess – I am convinced that you have a greater aptitude to teach them their lessons than many of their teachers and I am certain all seven of them will benefit greatly from your tutelage. If you would like to get a job in town during the day, I am certain that between the two of us we will be able to find something quite suitable.

"And Maria? The Lord could never look upon you with anything other than love. He has challenged you far more than the average person could bear, and throughout everything you have maintained your devotion as well as your identity. You are however incorrect on one point – your arrival here was not the Lord's gift to you, but Him placing the greatest blessing on me and my family. A family that I know my children count you a part of, no matter where you may choose to live or what employment you may find. You have been alone for so long, have suffered so much, but I promise you it is over. You are irreplaceable."

The Captain could tell that Maria did not know what to say in response to his words, and recognized that it would take some time for her to process everything that he had offered.

Standing slowly, he offered her his arm, which she looked at in bewilderment.

"Please allow me to walk you to your room. It is time for you to get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning, if you would like."

Maria did not hesitate to take his arm. Her mind had gone blank after the Captain had finished his speech, and in her exhausted state she was not able to effectively sort through everything that he had said to her. The tears that were rolling down her cheeks were no longer the product of despair, but rather the promise of hope. Her heart as full as her lacrimal ducts, she allowed the Captain to lead her up the stairs.

The next morning the Captain slept later than he had in many weeks – it was already well past nine o'clock when he finally pulled himself from the deep slumber he had been in since his head hit the pillow. His talk with Maria the night before had worn him out completely, yet knowing that she had finally opened up about her worries and they had been addressed had put his mind at enough ease that it was finally able to allow him some peace. He knew how to help her and was ready to start immediately.

The children were starting to awake when the Captain left his room, and he made a mental note that once Maria was better they would have to get back onto some semblance of a schedule if they did not want to have a rude awakening come September.

As had been the case the day before, the Captain immediately went to Maria's room, even though he knew that Liesl had not spent the night there. When he opened the door, he was overcome with a wave of worry as he realized that the bed was made and the room empty. A note was lying on the mattress, which he grabbed as though it were a life raft at sea.

_Dear Captain,_

_I apologize for leaving so abruptly this morning –do not worry about me. Please allow me to thank you with my entire heart for what you said; I cannot express how much your generosity means to me. I feel guilty placing my burdens on you, and there is so much to consider. There is a place in town I must go to think. There are a couple people there I haven't seen in a while, but they always help me find my path. I apologize for the cryptic message, but I will try to be back in time for lunch – I also apologize for taking another morning off, especially without asking your permission. _

_Yours,_

_Maria_

_P.S. I was not sure where to leave this for you to find, but I thought that if you were searching for me, you would probably start here. I do hope I did not cause any worry, and if I did I apologize wholeheartedly. _

The Captain noticed with some distress that several of the letters were blotchy. He re-read the note, fixating on one line in particular as he mind attempted to figure out where she might be.

_A place I must go to think_…where had he heard that before?

It came back to him in a flash, his own memory surprising him.

The idea of Maria going there alone broke his heart – he was certain she hadn't been there in a long while, it didn't quite seem like the type of place Max would frequent and those had been the only times she had not been with the children in months. Her comment about guilt bothered him as well. His mind consciously recognized that she may need this time alone, to think, and he reasoned with himself he would give her the morning as she requested.

* * *

The black iron gate creaked as Maria made her way through to her final destination. The grass was still wet with morning dew as she allowed herself to sink into it, creating darkened stains on the deep grey dress with white embroidery she had chosen specifically for this occasion.

"Good morning mom, dad. I'm sorry I haven't been by to see you in a while." Maria whispered to the two tombstones in front of her.


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: This chapter delves further into the past histories of both Georg and Maria. I spent a fair amount of time researching the backgrounds of what really happened, and then altered it slightly to fit with the storyline (Maria's story is more 'elaborated' than Georg's). As for Maria's education, I understand this is not something that would normally happen now in the 21st century; however, in the 1930s things were much different. Just go with it :)**

_Chapter Forty_

Time passes differently in a cemetery, this Maria knew well. After her parents' death she would often come down here and talk to them – she would tell them about her day, her hopes, her uncle…like any other child Maria always found the answers that she was looking for by talking to her mother and father.

After she had arrived, she had begun her story. Starting when she first met Max at the abbey, she recounted everything that had happened to her – his promises, their kiss, her fleeing, the Reverend Mother's request, meeting the Captain and the children, Max's reappearance, the Captain's transformation, the dates, the ball, the betrayal, and finally the Captain's words from the night before.

The sun was high in the sky, perhaps even moved slightly to the west, by the time she was finished her story, and Maria was relieved to find that the same healing powers she used to find here when she was younger still were able to influence her. By talking through everything that had happened without hiding anything, Maria began to gain perspective.

"And what should I do? You always taught me the importance of independence – I remember dad telling me to become self-reliant and never be completely dependent on a man. And I don't want to ask him for anything else – he already has enough worries, seven large ones in particular, and he has only begun to sort out his relationship with them. I feel terrible asking him to-"

The sound of the creaky gate stopped Maria short, and she whipped around. The graveyard was small, and in all her years of coming here, she had never had any company.

Her eyes widened as she realized the identity of her mysterious visitor.

Well speak of the devil.

"Captain?"

"I apologize for bothering you, it is past two o'clock and we were becoming worried something had happened to you."

"How did you know where to find me?"

"Your note. You wrote that you were going somewhere to think, and it reminded me of my first day back from Vienna, when Kurt was guiding us around the city, and you mentioned that as a girl you would come here to think."

"I can't believe you remember that" Maria was shocked at his memory of such an insignificant moment.

"At the time I was curious why you would spend time in a cemetery, and I suppose it stayed in the back of my mind."

As the Captain spoke, he took from the basket he had around his arm a blanket, which he laid on the grass only a small distance away from the tombstones. Once it was sufficiently oriented, he began removing plastic containers, plates, and silverware that he arranged methodically.

He finally handed her two bouquets of wildflowers he and the children had picked that morning and gestured to the graves.

With a grateful smile, Maria placed them on the tombstones.

"Thank you. In my rush I had forgotten to bring anything" she admitted.

"Come" he asked gently. "You must be starving – you didn't eat breakfast this morning."

Maria obliged, and sat on the blanket. To her surprise, the sight of the food caused her stomach to elicit a loud growl which caused her cheeks to turn red. To his credit, the Captain didn't say anything, just smiled slightly.

"Thank you for all this." She gestured around her. "It was really unnecessary."

"It was nothing. The children wanted noodles with cheese for lunch, and ate almost everything before I got a spoonful. So if you think there will be enough, I would gladly accept a few morsels."

Maria looked at what must have been the entire contents of the fridge spread around her and laughed. "I'm certain there will be a crumb or two that you can nibble on."

They ate in silence, and the Captain was elated to see Maria chewing happily on her meal without hesitation. He did not bring up the end of her fasting – if she would eat, he would feed her everything and anything she would like.

With full bellies, Maria closed her eyes to bask in the warm sun. The Captain was leaning on a tree nearby, watching her carefully. It was wonderful to see the "old Maria" back again – he knew that she was far from being exactly as she was, yet the colour in her cheeks and some light in her eyes offered him hope that she was well on her way.

"Did you have enough time to say everything that needed to be said?" he asked. He knew who was buried here – he had read the tombstones almost as soon as he had seen Maria – Augusta and Karl Rainer.

"You must think I am crazy, talking to slabs of rock." Maria responded with a shake of her head.

"Not in the slightest. When I was in the navy, I used to ask for my father's help whenever situations became critical, or I needed guidance."

"Tell me about him?"

The Captain paused for a moment, suddenly uncertain how much of himself to give to his young woman. He immediately chastised himself, consciously realizing he had no reason not to trust her simply because Elsa had broken that trust. It was Maria – he felt within every inch of his being he could tell her everything, and he would. He took a deep breath and began the shortened version of his life, one that only Agathe had known.

"My father was an amazing man—a naval officer, before I was born he was elevated to the rank of nobility for his services. He died in the service when I was four. I have only one memory of him. It was right before he left us for the last time, and I am sitting on his knee while he is reading out-loud. The only words I remember are "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." According to my mother he loved Shakespearean writing. I suppose you could say I have lived my life trying to achieve this greatness." The Captain visibly shuddered, his eyes were now dissecting a blade of grass that he played with between his fingers.

"My mother raised the three of us - my sister Hede and brother Werner and me. She used to sit Werner and I down every night and tell us 'you boys will one day be great heroes like your father'. Every night for years and years she would read to us from father's journal – tales of war at the high seas, adventures in foreign lands, better material than most writers could imagine. It turned out she was right about Werner—he was killed in the Great War, fighting for Austria. I found out by Morse Code of all things – it was too dangerous to use our transmitters, so I found out my only brother was killed through a series of taps. I wasn't able to attend his funeral—by this then I had taken command of the U-5 and it is impossible to take a leave of absence when you are at the bottom of the ocean. The day they put him in the ground, I sunk the French armored cruiser _Léon Gambetta_. Agathe took the children to the funeral on my behalf—Liesl was only four, Friedrich two, and Louisa just a baby. I'll always remember watching the cruiser go down— it was the only time in my naval career I had no regret for my actions, no concern for the lives lost. All I could see as it sunk was a coffin being laid into the ground, all because of this very same enemy."

A silence overcame him, as memories of the most important people in his life—his father, his brother, his wife—all who had left him alone clouded his thoughts.

"Your father would have been so proud of you" Maria commented quietly, delicately placing her hand over his to stop their wringing.

The Captain gave a loud exhale. "Proud of a son who abandoned his family when they needed him most?"

"No, proud for having the courage to admit you were wrong, and the strength to love the seven people that remind you every moment of the one individual you, despite all your wartime skills, were not able to save." Maria softly corrected him, never taking her eyes off him.

The Captain finally raised his eyes to hers, recognizing the truth in her words. "What good is the ability to kill your enemies if you have not the power to save your loved ones" he spoke directly into her eyes, acknowledging her assessment of the root of his nightmares.

"It means you are only human" Maria did not break the gaze, as she stared into the Captain's equally blue eyes.

The Captain swallowed a lump that consumed almost his entire throat.

"Maria? Do you ever question God's decisions? Ever resent Him for the choices that He made?" The Captain noticed immediately her eyes fall, and worried that this might not be a conversation she should be having with her delicate emotional stability.

"Right after my parents died, the sister that taught at my school pulled me aside. She told me that I had a decision to make, and whichever option I would choose would affect how I would live my life from that time forward. She said that I could chose to hate God for what He had taken from me – she told me that I had every right to be upset, but in doing so I would risk losing someone who will always love me and that I can always turn to. My other option, obviously, was to accept that perhaps God needed my parents more than I did, and that everything that happened was part of a plan that would lead me to where I was meant to be."

"So you chose the second?" the Captain nodded.

"Absolutely not, I chose the third option – I did not allow myself to become angry with the Lord, but I refused to accept that everything I was going through was part of His plan – I could not believe he could be that cruel."

"Cruel?" The Captain could sense they were getting close to a very delicate subject, and sent his own brief prayer to Heaven that Maria would finally open up about her past.

God often listens to those who pray for the sake of others.

"As you know, both my parents died by the time I was seven years old, leaving me to be raised by my uncle, who had never wanted children. He…was strict with me. I mentioned to you before that he detested music and dancing. He was already an avid drinker before I went to stay to him; I fear my misbehavior drove him to the bottle even more often. Holz, the piece of lumbar I used to dance around with? When he found out about it, he chopped it up in front of me, threw it in the fire, and threatened that the next time he found anything similar, it would be my photo albums. I was only nine."

Maria had never shared this information with anybody—not the teachers when she was in school, nor the Reverend Mother at the abbey. As much as she tried to stop the words, they began to pour out.

"There were nights at the beginning where he would pass out into such a deep stupor I was petrified he would not wake up, and would shake him and cry for hours until he would finally open his eyes, and then would yell at me to such an extent that I wished I had let him sleep. No matter how terrible life was with him, I could not imagine living anywhere else. As the years passed I quickly learned that the times when he was passed out where the best times of the day. Then I was free to go up to that mountain where we went with the children, and sing, do my homework, and just relish the solitude. Other times I would come here and talk to my parents about my day, screaming at them for leaving me on particularly bad days. I was very lonely…the other children didn't want to be around me because my clothes were second hand, and I had nothing in common with them. They all participated in afterschool activities; after school I had to rush home to make supper for my uncle before he would return from work, and before he would leave for the pub. He hated the church, was bitter with God, and if he ever saw me praying as the sisters at school taught us, one side of my face would have a handprint marked on it for a couple hours. I became quite proficient at using concealer at a very young age.

"By my junior year I had decided I wanted to attend the State Teachers College for Progressive Education in Vienna, but he was quick to inform me I was not permitted to leave the city. I sent the college a letter pleading them to send me the work even though I was still in school. It took almost two full months of correspondence with my teachers and the headmistress, and I am so thankful they stood up for me, and they asked that I write an entrance exam. I must have done well, as they offered me a scholarship, something the teachers seemed quite astonished by. Without it, I could have never afforded it. The college allowed me to complete courses during summer vacation as well and I progressed quickly, or so they told me. The sisters at my high school knew what I was doing and often excused me from the more frivolous assignments so I could study, and would supervise my exams for me. I was one course shy of receiving my diploma when my uncle realized what I had been doing and withheld my mail. By the time I realized what he had been doing, it was too late to hand in the assignment. He forbade me from contacting them, monitoring my phone calls and my mail. I was so desperate to get away from him I would have done anything. I began watching the sisters at work in the gardens, hoping being that close to the Lord's people would bring me some guidance. I began to speak to the sisters, and through them found peace with God, with my parents, and with myself."

Maria took a shuddering breath, unable to continue for a moment, though her eyes remained clear as she finally looked the Captain. "But none of it matters anymore, and I have shed enough tears because of him. God has given me so many blessings, and for all of them I am eternally thankful. And that's what I had to come here to talk to my parent about, that's what you helped me realize last night."

If spoken by anyone else these words may have sounded contrite, yet her voice was riddled with such sincerity that the Captain could only stare in amazement at the inner strength so blatantly visible.

"The size of your heart is beyond measure." The Captain did not know what to say to this revelation, and these words were the only that somewhat expressed the astonishment in his heart.

They sat in silence, until remembrance of one particular part of Maria's story caused him to sit up a bit straighter, and the light in his eyes to get a bit brighter.

"You are only one course away from a teaching diploma?" he asked with obvious excitement.

Maria nodded slowly, not seeing how almost getting something that meant so much to her should cause such glee.

"Don't you see? Maria, you could become a teacher!"

"Captain…"

"No, I'm serious. I will phone the College tonight and arrange for you to take your missing class. I'm certain that you have ten years to finish the course from the time you began. Elsa has a niece who has been in her final year of education…for seven years in a row. She isn't the brightest. It doesn't really matter anyways, I served with some members of the board. You could become a teacher by Christmas time!" He was vibrating with excitement and realized he was rambling as the plan formed in his quick mind.

"Less, actually" Maria responded. "I did all the work for the final class except the term paper – it was the instructions for my final assignment that my uncle burned."

"This is good news" the Captain was confused at Maria's apparent lack of interest. "If you write up the paper, we can send it in, and then you could work here in Salzburg. With seven children I know most of the teachers, and I'm sure one of them would take you as an intern." He paused at her disinterest. "Why aren't you more excited? Maria, this is wonderful news."

"Captain, I mean no disrespect, but I've known about this possibility for many years. Of course I called the office, before entering the abbey and then again a month or so ago after I decided not to return to the abbey. Their policy had not changed – you are correct that it is a ten year limit, and yes it has been less than ten years since I first applied, but Captain when I was young I was working under a scholarship. I am much too old now to apply for another, and the fee for a late submission is substantial, much more money than I could ever find."

"How much?"

"Does it matter?"

"How much, Maria?"

"The course, because I would have to pay for it in full again, as well as the late fee would mount just over 2 000 Schillinge."

"Consider it done. I will make the call as soon as we get home."

Maria's eyes were wider than the plates they had just eaten off of.

"Absolutely not." She replied firmly. "I will not allow you to pay such a substantial amount of money for me."

The Captain looked at her defiant face, and begged his brain to think quicker. Whether she liked it or not he was certain he would pay the fee to allow her to finish her education, but the process would be much easier if she would cooperate. After some quick mental math, he had his resolution.

"Maria you have been working for me and I have not paid you. Yes, yes I know, charitable work for the abbey and whatnot. But you're not returning to the abbey therefore you deserve a wage. No arguments until I'm finished please." She had to laugh at this comment, encouraging him to continue.

"Now then, the average person gets paid 50 groschen per hour, so one shilling for every two hours. As a governess you have been working 24 hours a day. No, don't argue. I've heard the pillow fights during thunder storms and saw that disaster that was Louisa's late-night cake-baking party. So that's 12 Schillinge each day. There are 31 days in a month, so that's 372 Schillinge per month. And you've been working for me for what now? Four months? Well it'll be close at the end of this month. So that's 1488 Schillinge. If you will agree to stay to watch my children for the month of September, that would mean I own you 1860 Schillinge. Whatever is left of the fee please consider a gratuity for the incredible work you have done for us."

"Captain no, I was here on God's errand, not to be paid."

"Maria, have you ever thought that perhaps it was God's wish that you come to my home so I could help you?"

There was a lengthy pause before Maria responded.

"Captain, I believe you have stumped me with my own logic." A genuine smile slowly began to grow across her face. "It just seems too convenient and easy. How will I ever be able to thank you, Captain?"

"By staying with us as a governess. There is no need to feel guilty as you wrote in your letter; you are providing a service I desperately need, and I am willing to pay for it. Capitalism at its finest. Naturally you mean more to all of us than a service-provider, but if it makes it easier for you to think of it that way, so be it. As long as you're with us your rationalization does not matter. I meant every word that I said before, and now it will work out even better. Once you're done your course you can go to school with the children in the morning, complete your internship while you are there as I'm relatively certain you have to do that for a year after your studies, the return in the evening here. You would be, of course, free to leave if you ever wanted, but you are always welcome."

Maria felt the blood rushing towards her head, and the world went a little blurry. It was all too much to take in at once – in the past month she had gone from anticipating quiet life as a postulant to becoming a full-time governess and potential teacher.

The Captain could sense right away that something wasn't right, and his hands immediately went out to steady her even though she was still seated. The distress on her face was clear.

"I'm sorry. That was too much too fast, and it's your life; I should let you lead it as you please." The Captain felt bad for pushing here, and his regret was evident in his voice.

"No, Captain, it is a wonderful plan. It's what I've dreamed about since I was a little girl I just…I'm not sure I'm ready for that big of a step. It's just that I've never made a life-altering decision like this solely based on what I want; my past revolved around finding an away from my uncle."

"Then let's do this in small steps" the Captain suggested, his hand still resting on Maria's shoulders. He allowed himself to use his thumbs to trace small circles on the sleeves of her dress. "Tonight we will phone the college and arrange for you to write your final term paper. Whether you choose to teach afterwards doesn't matter, at least you will have your degree. You can stay with us as long as you like – no pressure either way."

Maria turned her eyes to the graves of her parents, and thought about the Captain's offer. Like a tsunami suddenly hitting the beach, a memory that she had long ago forgotten jolted through her.

She remembered waltzing in her father's arms, while her mother played some Chopin on the piano. She must have been only four or five at the time, though she had no trouble keeping up with her father's fancy footwork. He is laughing as she makes up steps, never tripping.

_"Maria my little ballerina. So much talent, my love. I cannot wait to see what you will make of it."_

_"I will only dance with you!" the young Maria improvises a foot stop before settling back into the 3/4 time rhythm._

_"Come my dear, don't you want to dance with the boys? You can teach them to be as graceful as you." Her mother answers from the piano, her fingers never missing a beat._

The random memory gave back with such vivacity, Maria could not believe she had not thought of that day in all these years since. She could practically feet her father's hand in hers, hear her mother's music. She would make something of herself. She would make them proud.

"Yes" her gaze flew towards the Captain. "Yes, that sounds wonderful."


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Hope you all are enjoying the story! I delve more into the Captain's past here - If you haven't read about the real Captain von Trapp's life, I highly encourage it. He lived an incredible life. Many of the events in this chapter are true...the timeline may be a little skewed as research can only take me so far! **

**Thank you to those who have left me comments - I appreciate every one.**

_Chapter Forty-One_

That night after supper the children were filled with questions about the whereabouts of their governess and father for the day, yet one look from the Captain silenced their curiosity.

It was only right before bedtime that the Captain decided it was time to break at least some of their good news with the children, as they were all expecting Maria to be leaving in a couple of weeks.

"Children, I know you have questions about where we were today, and Maria and I have an announcement." He didn't realize he was speaking her name without the title…that had long ago become second nature. The children's faces were riddled with puzzlement, yet the Captain was surprised to see the eyes of Liesl and Brigitta grow wide. They hadn't even heard the news yet!

"How would you feel if Maria were to stay here for a little while longer as your governess?"

The Captain's laugh nearly shook the chandelier off the ceiling at the expressions of pure joy that crossed seven faces as they rushed to embrace their governess.

"I thought you had to return to the abbey!" Friedrich exclaimed from within the pit of arms that were all trying to hug Maria.

"It appears the Lord may have a different plan for me." Maria responded, only to be hugged tighter.

That night Maria and the Captain both slept soundly, after both having found peace that day in the graveyard.

The night was quiet, yet Liesl continued to stir. Ever since her father had said that he and Maria had an announcement, her stomach had become a habitat for butterflies, and she felt like she was on the edge of her seat waiting for…something. She felt like she was still waiting for a certain announcement, and the thought of what she had been anticipating was too ridiculous to even put to words, but the feeling like things were quickly changing was nearly palpable in the air. She couldn't quite figure out if the change was for the better or the worse, but it was most certainly there.

_Something about Fraulein Maria and Father._ She just couldn't shake the feeling that the change had something to do with them. _I must just be worried about Fraulein Maria. _She decided, but still felt a tad uneasy. _After everything she has gone through these past few weeks, and then just disappearing today. _By this point Liesl had worked herself into a tizzy of worry. _I'd best go check on her. Just poke my head in the doorway. _

Trying to be as quiet as possible, Liesl slipped out of bed, and grabbed her robe from the chair. Though it was August, it was a chilly night. She tiptoed to the door, and gently pulled it open.

Creek! Liesl cringed and closed her eyes.

"Wha…Liesl? Where are you going?" Louisa yawned. Liesl sighed.

"I'm just going to check on Fraulein Maria." She explained. Suddenly she felt very tired indeed. 'I couldn't sleep and I wanted to make sure she was okay."

Louisa sat up in bed. "Why wouldn't she be?"

"Come on, Louie. She disappeared this morning, Father had to leave after lunch to find her, and then they don't return for hours. I'm worried something might be going on, and she may need somebody to talk to about it.

Louisa sighed. "You're crazy, Liesl, but I'll come with you. I'm awake anyways."

Liesl groaned as she heard another person stirring in the next room. _Why does Louisa always speak so loudly?_ She wondered. _Soon all seven of us will be going to check on poor Fraulein who needs simply to rest, not to have seven visitors at midnight!_

Kurt walked into their room. "What's going on?" he mumbled, still half asleep. It was rotten luck being a very light sleeper in a family of nine…well family of eight plus Maria, so essentially nine.

"We were just going to go check on Fraulein Maria." Louisa explained.

"**_I _**was just going to peek in her room to make sure she was alright." Liesl corrected. "I'm not actually going to go in the room!"

"What's wrong with Maria?" Kurt slurred, still half asleep.

"That's what I said!" Louisa answered him "Liesl seems to think that she might need someone to talk to because she disappeared for so long."

"Why would she want to talk to you at midnight?"

Liesl huffed in frusteration. "I don't want to talk to her, I just want to peek in her room to make sure that she is asleep."

"Alright, let's go so we can get back to bed." Kurt yawned, and the three made their way down the hall to where their governess should be. To their surprise, the bed was empty; however, a light from the end of the alerted the children to her whereabouts.

They paused when they reached the door, surprised to hear their father's voice from inside.

* * *

The Captain hung up the phone and fell down onto the couch in exhaustion. He had been on the line for hours, after rousing the dean of the College of Education from his sleep (really, who goes to bed at 9:00?) the secretaries in Vienna had searched for well over an hour to find Maria's file, and then came billing, timeframes, and outlines.

Finally, hours later, much to his delight they finally agreed to send her the paperwork immediately. Providing she could get the paper done within a week, which he knew would be a tight squeeze, she could start her internship in the fall. If not, she would have to wait until the winter term began in January. He had tried to buy more time for Maria, especially given her frail condition, but apparently the paperwork to begin internship had to be filed at that time and the office had no control over these dates. The Captain promised the woman on the line that he would contact the school system of Salzburg early the next morning to arrange for her placement there and asked her to send the paperwork there immediately. On the way back from the graveyard he and Maria had agreed not to tell the children about her potential teaching position, as there were too many things that could go wrong, at least in Maria's opinion.

The Captain was never so thankful for his high social standing and title – he rarely used it to get certain privileges, but he was well aware that without them he would have never achieved the results he did that night as the process should have taken weeks if not months. As it was they would be cutting it close, and he wanted Maria to have all the time possible to write her paper.

Maria had been determined to stay awake with the Captain throughout this entire process, but about an hour ago he had noticed her eyelids begin to droop, and it wasn't long after that she had fallen asleep on the couch. He was thankful, remembering what the doctor had said about her healing through sleep.

He knew that he should wake her so she could move to her bed and sleep more comfortably, but he found that he had neither the energy nor the desire to do so. He watched as her eyelids flickered in her sleep, and wondered what she was dreaming of. He was reminded of the days so many years prior when he would watch Agathe sleep – there was something indescribably special about seeing someone sleep and the calm that it brings.

Without thinking, his mouth began moving, and words streamed out. Stories of his adventures in the war, some which he had even hesitated and refused to tell Agathe. It's strange how when you're alone with someone in the dead of night, when everything is quiet and the earth seems to have stopped moving, you begin to tell things you would otherwise not say.

The clock striking quarter past midnight alerted the Captain he had been speaking to Maria's sleeping form for well over an hour. He considered waking her, when he realized her eyes were fluttering open.

"Captain?" she asked, miraculously without any grogginess.

"Yes, Maria?"

"This isn't my room."

The Captain laughed at her point of fact assessment, and he nodded.

"No, you're in the sunroom."

"It's not too sunny in here now." Maria was in that stage somewhere between awake and asleep where the most mundane comments seem hilarious. She laughed at her own wit.

"Liesl used to say that this was the most beautiful place to see the moon in all of Austria. She got her fascination with space from her mother."

"Tell me about how you met her, Agathe." The Captain was surprised by Maria's request, but her eyes had taken on more life to them, and he knew that she was fully awake and serious.

Maria had heard part of the story from Max's point of view, but she was interested in hearing the first-hand experience.

He nodded mutely, without even considering denying Maria information that he had withheld even from his children.

"I first met Agathe when I was offered a command on one of the first submarines in the Austrian navy. She was the daughter of the man who invented the torpedo, Robert Whitehead. He donated a large sum of money for the creation of a U-6, and in 1910 I was placed in command of this new vessel. The day before we were set to leave on a training mission for several of my crewmates, there was to be a christening of the sub. I expected to meet the creator of my weapon of choice, and instead was introduced so a woman dressed in white with a mink stole. Her grandfather was also present, and at the end of the ceremony suggested the three of us go out for supper together. I was more than happy to oblige, a dinner with a beautiful woman and a world-renowned inventor is not something to be taken lightly. At the last minute, however, Herr Whitehead backed out so it was only Agathe and I. By the end of the evening I asked to see her again and to wait for me until my return a within the month. She agreed, and a year later we were married and Liesl was born almost nine months to the day after our wedding.

"I believe she may have been the thing that kept me alive all those years at sea. During the Great War, I was sent to the Adriatic Sea, which was a site of major conflict during that time. One of our biggest accomplishments was sinking the _Principe Umberto_, and I am ashamed to say my crewmates celebrated with champagne as we watched it sink. I remember staring at the huge shadow in the night as it passed downward before my eyes, as I tried not the think about the number of people who had been on it_. _Now when I look back, I wonder whether or not I did the right thing, killing over 2 000 people – if that decision can ever be the right one. People say that, besides burning, drowning is the worst way to die, and I caused both. For the longest time after Agathe's death, I blamed it on my actions, thinking it was God's punishment for me.

"At the end of the Great War, Austria was defeated, and we lost our coast. It was a heart-breaking day. Not only did I grieve as a country, I grieved personally because I lost my brother, my submarine, and part of my humanity. When I got back home, I was given the cross of Empress Maria Theresia. I often wonder if I was the right person to get that as well…whether or not the people who were fighting against the war would have been better off with the award…"

The Captain looked directly at Maria. "People like you who believe in God and his goodness, and who never forget regardless of what He puts you through."

* * *

Though the Captain's words were directed towards the woman beside him, the first time he had spoken these thoughts aloud, in the stillness of the night his story travelled to the ears of three children crouched behind the closed door, each donning an expression of pure incredulity.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: We have finally arrived at the fun part of the story! From here on through I think (hope!) you're going to find the story much more lighthearted as Maria and the Captain figure out God's path for them, with some help from seven little cupids! As a disclaimer, I hold no claims over any of the literature I describe in this story, I am just an avid fan! **

**Enjoy!**

_Chapter Forty-Two_

Liesl, Louisa and Kurt stood spellbound in the hallway. Never had they heard their father speak of the war. He had always said that it was a dark time that did not bear repeating. Whenever anyone would ask, even mother, he would brush the subject aside with "There are far better stories than those!" And would tell about when he was a boy by the sea. They had studied the war in school, but to hear it from a person who had actually been there, let alone their father, it was remarkable. And how he met their mother was a story they had never been brave enough to ask.

Liesl nudged Louisa. "Have you ever heard father talk like this?" she barely whispered, knowing how cross father would be if he found them out of bed at this outrageous hour.

Louisa shook her head.

"Why would father and Maria be up at midnight to talk about the war and mother?" Kurt whispered and puzzled look on his face.

"Something is going on…but I just can't put my finger on it!" Liesl answered.

Her voice must have risen a bit louder than she intended, as the Captain had stopped talking and was looking towards the doorway curiously.

He obviously could not see them hidden in the shadows, as he finally turned back to his conversation, but his look was enough to scare the children into retreat.

"Okay, what was that?" Louisa whispered a bit louder once they were back in their room, Kurt tagging along behind as he was now fully awake with a mind full of war stories.

This time Louisa's voice was loud enough to wake the third occupant of their room, and the heaviest sleeper of the seven.

"What are you all doing at this hour?" Brigitta grumbled as she stretched.

"We couldn't sleep, and were worried about Maria. You won't believe it, but Father was telling her about mother, and about the war!" Kurt exclaimed, only to be shushed by the four others.

"Don't be daft Kurt, you know father won't talk about his military service."

"Kurt's telling the truth this time, Brig. We all heard it." Louisa nodded.

"This time?" Kurt asked indignantly, but was ignored.

"Do you think…" Brigitta asked, but was immediately cut off by Liesl. "Don't even think about it. It just seems like the most possible answer because it is what we want the most." She knew exactly what Brigitta was thinking, because she had been wondering the same thing for quite some time, but hadn't allowed herself to even consider the possibility.

"But wouldn't it be great?" Liesl sighed, as three pairs of eyes looked at the two in bewilderment.

"What if we helped them?" Birgitta suggested, a plan hatching in her mind.

"Helped them?" Louisa asked "With what?"

"You know, push them in the right direction."

"The right direction for what?" Kurt asked, becoming frustrated.

Liesl cut him off. "Just quit, Brig. You can't make two people fall in love!"

"Love!" Louisa exclaimed, finally catching up. Kurt remained lost.

"Can so!" Brigitta objected. "It happens all the time in books!"

"That's why it's called fiction!" Liesl shot back.

"Disclaimer, I have no idea where this is coming from. But Brig, in books the man and woman are usually in love before people meddle, but just don't know it." Louisa pointed out.

The girl's voices had risen. Friedrich stumbled into the room without knocking.

"Where's the fire?" Friedrich groaned.

"Fire?" Birgitta asked.

"Yeah! Why else would you be yelling at one in the morning!" he growled.

"Brigitta just got a strange idea, and Liesl and I were trying to knock some sense into her" Louisa scowled. The lack of sleep was really getting to her.

"What idea?" Kurt practically shouted, and Friedrich looked at him in surprise, wondering why he had no idea what was going on either.

"I said that we should help get Fraulein Maria and father together" Brigitta began.

"Get them together where?" Friedrich asked.

"Together for what? Tea?" Kurt added, certain this was a very strange dream.

"I said it would never work because they're not in love. I'm not Cupid, Brigitta." Louisa retorted.

"Oh, that kind of together"

"Are you sure about that?" Brigitta countered.

"Do you see wings out my back and a bow and arrow?" Louisa sighed.

"Louisa, Liesl maybe you should both go back to bed, you're quite the grouches" Brigitta grumped. "I mean about Fraulein Maria and father. Maybe they're in love but just don't know it!"

"Well Father was very quick to run after her today!" Liesl admitted sheepishly after some thought. "And I read the note – she didn't say where she was going, but obviously he knew where to look."

"And remember when we went on that picnic, and Father and Fraulein Maria fell asleep beside each other?" Kurt gasped.

"Took you long enough, Kurt" Brigitta rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't show that's they're in love, silly!" Louisa punched him in the arm.

"No, but remember after Fraulein Maria wouldn't eat with us? She wanted to wait for Father! That's different!" Brigitta pointed out in his defense.

"And when they sang Edelweiss they were eye-locked the entire time!" Louisa agreed slowly.

"See, Lies? Louie? It's got to be true!" Kurt exclaimed, proud to understand and contribute.

"Well, father does smile more around her…" she admitted. "And they at least have many things in common…"

"Mainly us!" Friedrich laughed.

A memory hit her. "And the night after Dr. Saeger came? I think father came by to check on Fraulein Maria four times that night. But could it really be possible?" Liesl asked, still unsure. "Because I don't want to scare Fraulein Maria away if it's not true, and I don't want father to become raging angry…"

"True, but I don't want Fraulein Maria to fall in love with somebody else and leave us. She won't stay with us as a governess forever – the announcement tonight just gives us a little more time." Friedrich added.

"Then we can start off slowly!" Brigitta stated in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Well then smarty, you come up with a plan." Liesl grumped, tired.

Brigitta was silent, mentally sorting through her bookshelf in her mind, as she often did when faced with a difficult problem. She was convinced that the resolution to any difficulty could be found in a book.

"Romeo and Juliet?" she suggested the first love story that came to mind.

Her siblings knew of her strategies for problem resolution.

Liesl shook her head vehemently. "No, those two first fell in love at a ball…and we've had enough parties around here to last a while. Not to mention, they both ended up dead."

"Oh, perfect! Thanks Liesl, now I won't have to read it this year!" Louisa popped up, earning herself a glare.

"Let's start at the beginning, as Fraulein Maria always says." Brigitta interjected with a roll of her eyesy. "An old genre…what about mythology? We'll just follow the example of Lancelot and Guinevere."

"Who now?" Kurt asked with raised eyebrows.

"Kurt, you have no idea what you're missing by spending your time in the kitchen rather than reading." Brigitta chided. "Lancelot and Guinevere, an ancient story from the times of King Arthur. You see, Arthur was the King of Britain, having gained the title after pulling a sword from a stone…well it's a whole long story. Anyways, he married Lady Guinevere in an arranged marriage, and soon after Guinevere found her soul mate in Sir Lancelot, King Arthur's bravest knight. Anyways, in the story I'm thinking about, Queen Guinevere is abducted with a man named Meleagant and Lancelot jumps on his steed to rescue the fair maiden, but the Fates weren't on his side. His horse died early into his journey, so he is forced to ride in a pillory cart and-"

"A what? Brig, don't forget who you're talking to here."

Brigitta sighed but continued "Back in Ancient England a pillory cart was used to carry criminals around. Lancelot did not want to have to ride around in it, but after a day he realized it was his only choice. Anyways, because the people believed he was a criminal for being in the cart, the townspeople mocked him and threw fruit at him, but he bore in all in silence, with only the thought of his lady. He left the cart and continued on foot until he came to a gleaming sword fixed into two tree trunks on either side of a river. It is the only way across, and he knew he could not swim in all his armor, so he took off his foot and hand armour and crossed the sword, severely lacerating his hands, knees, and feet, all the while whispering to himself that he would rather die by blade or water than turn back. On the other side of the river is his lady's captor, Meleagant, waiting for him. Lancelot can see Queen Guinevere high in Meleagant's tower, regains his strength despite his wounds, and fights with such vigor he defeats Meleagant who agrees to give him Guinevere the next morning, though not one moment before then."

"Brigitta, it is almost two in the morning. Does this story have an ending?" Friedrich grumbled, but the other children were listened wide-eyed to the story.

Brigitta chose to continue without acknowledging his comments.

"After his wounds are bound, Lancelot breaks his agreement and searches for Guinevere; however, he finds that she is upset with him as she has been told of his hesitation to board the pillory cart. Despite her upset, she grants him permission to enter her chamber, but the bars are strong and Lancelot breaks his finger bones to get in, after which they spend the night together, and he sneaks away in the early morning. Later that morning, when Meleagant sees the blood on Guinevere's sheets he is furious, but Guinevere lies and says that she had a nosebleed. Believing her, Meleagant hands her over to Lancelot, and the two leave together."

"What's your point?" Louisa sighed. As wonderful as a story it was, the late hour was wearing her out and she was envious of Gretl and Marta who were still tucked in their beds.

"Love means you will do anything to protect the other person. Lancelot suffered emotional and physical abuse all to save the woman that he was destined to be with, and Guinevere lied to Meleagant, risking her own life and reputation, to protect Lancelot who would have been slain if the truth came out. If we want to figure out if Father and Maria could possibly in love, we have to put them in a situation where they have to protect each other."

Liesl looked at Friedrich and the two raised their eyebrows.

"Brigitta, you don't honestly think it is that simple to make two people fall in love?" Liesl asked.

"It's only part A, and besides, do you have any better ideas?" Brigitta asked defiantly, stopping any complaints of her siblings. It was true that most of them had no suggestions.

"Alright, so how do we do it?" Friedrich conceded. "Father's a naval officer so obvious he would be Lancelot in this situation, but I don't think any of us would be willing to throw fruit at him or force him to walk on a sword."

"It could be entertaining if he'd agree…"

"You're being too literal" Brigitta's eye-roll was visible even in the dimly lit room as she ignored Louisa's remark. "We just need him to seem to be protecting her – there doesn't have to be any real danger."

There was a brief silence that was quickly interrupted by Kurt's suggestion. Slowly heads began to nod and smiles appeared.

The plan was simple, but often times the best ones are. They quickly agreed to put it in place the following day – love may have no age or time limit, but they couldn't wait any longer to secure Maria's place in their home, their father's happiness, and as their new mother.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Enjoy the children's "Plan A - Mythology". Yes, each plan is going to be based on a form of literature.**

_Chapter Forty-Three_

The morning was clear and sunny as the children gathered in the dining room for breakfast. All were surprised to see Maria already sitting at the head of the table with her nose in a large textbook, the sound of her pen scratching on the paper beside her. She seemed surprised to see the children, exclaiming.

"Oh, children you're up already! What time is it?" she ran her fingers through her already mussed hair as she glanced around desperate for a clock.

"It's nine o'clock, fraulein. How long have you been awake?" Louisa asked, taking her place at the table and gesturing for the others to follow.

"Only a couple hours" Maria responded absentmindedly, trying to concentrate both on the children, her reading, and her note-taking. In truth she had been awake since the break of dawn, despite having gone to bed much later than anticipated. After their talk about the Captain's wartime experiences the night before, he had surprised her just before going to bed by informing her that the college had consented to his plan. She had been so excited she had barely slept, making mental lists of everything to get done. She was eager to get a start on her paper, as she had only a week to research and write a report that should take at least two months. Her supply of reading materials were limited to the general library of the house, but would be sufficient for determining he viability of her thesis.

"Why do you all look so tired?" she asked, finally looking up to see dark circles under five of the seven sets of eyes.

"We're just tired of being indoors when it so beautiful" Friedrich quickly responded. Maria noted the children giving each other "the look", but decided to let it pass. Whatever they were planning, she was sure to find out soon enough.

The food was being set on the table as the Captain entered. He was equally surprised to see Maria at the breakfast table, as she had yet to join them for a meal since she had seen the doctor. He had not meant to sleep in, planning on bringing her breakfast in bed as he had done the previous mornings. When he awoke and saw the time, his first thought had been to get her food. It seemed as though that plan just became a little simpler.

He smiled to himself when he noticed she was so preoccupied in her work she had neither noticed that he had entered, nor was paying any attention to the food her free hand was bringing to her mouth. Contented that she was receiving the nutrients she required, he allowed himself to begin his meal, careful to keep quiet so as to not alert her to his presence and disturb her. The children continued to chatter about this, that, and the other.

As he had predicted, the moment Gretl asked him a question directly, Maria's eyes sprung upwards; however, he had not anticipated the textbook slamming shut and her pen simultaneously slipping from her grasp, ricocheting of the table-top and landing in a jar of jam.

After a moment of complete silence the room burst into laughter and Maria sheepishly dug her writing utensil out of the sticky substance.

"Captain, I apologize, I didn't hear you come in."

"So I see" he didn't even try to contain his laughter. "So what would you children like to do today?"

Maria crossed her fingers, hoping they would choose something quiet so she could continue with her studies.

No such luck.

"May we play outside this morning, Fraulein Maria?" Friedrich asked, and much to Maria's surprise there was no disagreement with his request.

"It is beautiful day" she agreed, thinking she could work in the grass. "Do you have something specific in mind?"

"Capture the flag" Kurt announced without a moment's hesitation, and again Maria was surprised to notice that all seven heads were nodding.

"Father, will you come out and play with us as well?" Louisa asked, and the Captain looked up startled, still not used to being included in his children's plans.

"Won't you have an odd number then?" the Captain asked. "I'd be glad to, but perhaps Fraulein Maria would like a morning off?" he could see she was eager to get back to work.

"But then the teams will be uneven!" Friedrich argued, earning him a strange look from the two adults.

"The teams should be Father, Liesl, Kurt, Brigitta, and Marta against myself, Friedrich, Gretl, and Fraulein Maria" Louisa decided as if she had already put a lot of thought into it. "That's the only way they are fair!"

"Why am I always last?" Maria joked, catching the eye of the Captain, causing the children to scrunch their brows in confusion at their laughter. She had accepted her morning would be spent outside and was actually looking forward to some exercise and sunshine.

The Captain had to admit the teams were well matched- his had Liesl's speed and Brigitta's cunning and the other team had the combined force of Louisa and Friedrich – it would be interesting to see if them on the same side of the game would have a synergistic result or ultimately blow-up. Either way it was bound to be entertaining.

Once outside a centre line running from the terrace doors through the two statues by the lake and ending at the water was established, and the two teams ran off to hide their flags.

Brigitta had been planning her strategy for most of the night, as it would not do for the game to end too quickly. She led her father and siblings towards a thick grove of trees and, instead of placing the piece of cloth high in the branches as would be expected, she cleared away some of the dense undergrowth around their feet and buried their flag so that the yellow corner that had to be showing by "capture the flag legislation" was in the middle of a patch of yellow flowers, perfectly camouflaged.

Then came her greater challenge – where to place their jail. Normally she would chose any old place – the jail wasn't the highlight of the game anyways, but today it took on a little more meaning.

Brigitta's choice of a jail location surprised the strategist in the Captain – the flag had been excellently hidden, but to have a jail along the banks of the river shadowed by the patch of trees from behind? The enemy had plenty of places to hide during their rescue mission. A jail should be in a clearing, where the jailer can easily see anyone approaching!

He was equally surprised when suddenly Liesl shouted out:

"Jailor not-it!" which was followed by a course of "Not-it!"-s from his other children before he had time to register what was happening. He was the jailor? Would have to sit on the sidelines and wait for something to happen? The idea was preposterous, but he was not a petulant child, and resigned himself to suddenly feeling much older than a minute before.

He listed from the riverbank to Friedrich counting down from 'behind enemy lines' and laughed at the shrieks and stampeding feet.

The Captain closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the sunshine.

Meanwhile on the playing field, Maria felt as if the entire other team was against her. She had seen Louisa sneak across the line with no difficulties, but the moment she placed a toe into the other's territory they were on her like vultures waiting to prey.

It didn't take long for her to be caught, though she _was_ quite proud of how far she had made it before Liesl had finally caught up and tagged her.

Faking a struggle that caused the younger ones to giggle, she allowed the smirking teenager to lead her to the riverbank, where she was surprised to see the Captain half-asleep on the shore.

"Father! You have a prisoner and you'd better watch her carefully – she's a hot commodity to her teammates" Liesl called to him.

"You got stuck being the jailor?" Maria laughed out loud as she took her seat on the grass. There was no use standing – if her teammates tagged her they were guaranteed a free walk back- so she didn't have to be overly prepared.

"Not my choice, I assure you." He grinned back, getting to his feet. His words were directed at her, but his eyes were constantly scanning his surroundings. If he had to do such a menial job, he would at least do it as well as he could!

When the shrieks became softer in the distance, and it was clear that there was no one hiding in the trees, the Captain turned back to Maria.

"Rather be studying?" he asked sympathetically. He knew something about working under extremely tight deadlines.

"Rather? Absolutely not – there's nothing I enjoy more than being with the children. I am worried that I may not get this paper completed in time and have wasted all your money and work getting me a second chance."

It was a worry Maria had been struggling with since she woke up from a restless sleep – the possibility of having a second chance was still nearly impossible for her to believe.

"Have you decided what your paper will focus on?" the Captain asked curiously. He had tried to see the title of the small text that she had been reading at breakfast, knowing it must be something from the library, but had not been able to identify it. It hadn't crossed his mind that she had borrowed a book from his private library without permission, a collection even Brigitta knew better than to request from.

"The theme the college has chosen for this year is special education – essentially teaching children with physical and mental disabilities. I am going to write about-"

Maria paused and took a deep inhalation. Encouraged by the Captain's full attention, she continued.

"- about the long-term effects of physical and emotional abuse at an early age on a child's ability to acquire, analyze, and retain information."

The Captain nodded slowly, purposefully remaining quiet to encourage her to continue.

"Dr. Sullivan half a century ago identified alcohol use during pregnancy as a potential cause of disabilities in fetuses, and it was found that these children have difficulties later in life within the educational construct. This is right now under a great deal of research, especially in France by Dr. Lemoine. If causation is established, we will have determined that the conditions in which a fetus develops shapes how he or she will learn and act in future years. I believe that this finding can be extrapolated such that the postnatal environment in which a child develops may also determine these factors. As such, a relationship between a toxic environment, whether poisoned literally by alcohol in the blood or figuratively by unloving and harmful caregivers, and the educational outcomes of a student may be established. If causation can be established, this may serve as the first step towards discovering a more efficient way of reaching out to these students and serving their needs to enhance their education."

The Captain stared at the young woman utterly dumbfounded. The same woman who jumped around rhyming mittens and kittens had just presented an idea worthy of a PhD thesis.

"I am speechless" he admitted honestly when her anxiety at his silence began to show. "Your ideas are rooted in fact but are completely innovative. I am certain that the grading board is going to be floored."

Maria blushed her pretty red, and stammered "It's just an idea. I don't know if I can prove it yet."

The Captain struggled with his next question, but decided to go ahead with it.

"May I ask where you got the idea from?"

He felt Maria's fingers tighten around his as she collected her thoughts.

"For a few years after my parents died, while I was with my uncle, I had a lot of difficulties in school. Everyone blamed it on my lack of concentration, saying that my loss had caused trauma that I would have to overcome in my own time. I tried to tell my teachers that I was working as hard as I could, was listening in all my classes and studying each night, but they didn't believe me. I was telling the truth – I worked almost to the point of breaking, but the more my uncle hit me, the less I seemed to be able to remember from my lessons, the less motivation I had to try, and the less I cared about my relationships with others. Eventually as I got older my uncle hit me less and less because I was quick enough to move out of the way, and I taught myself to block out his hateful words until the point came when I could not hear them anymore. I began sneaking out almost once a day, going to my mountain, writing music, going to the cemetery. I was healing during those times, becoming strong. My marks drastically improved in one semester to the point where one teacher was convinced I was cheating. I always wondered if the teachers were right about me back then, if it was truly a PTSD or if it was related to my uncle's treatment of me. I guess that's where this all stemmed from – I did not have it bad, a few slaps here or there, and I visibly changed. But I knew what I was missing – I had been loved for seven years. I am wondering what changes may occur in a child who has never known this comfort, always raised with hatred, and if that can affect who they become."

Maria was holding the Captain's hands so tight the tips of his fingers were turning blue, but he barely noticed.

"How did I become so lucky as to have you walk through my door, Maria Rainer?" he asked softly and without thought, his mind still trying to process everything she had told him.

Their mood was broken almost immediately by a loud squeal as Gretl tore through the woods and towards Maria screaming that she would save her governess.

The Captain, with a heavy heart, jumped to his feet to chase after the young girl, thankful for the distraction to give Maria a moment to collect herself.

Gretl went tearing off into the woods, but her distraction was not enough, as the Captain noticed Louisa creeping in from the other side.

"You will come nowhere near your dear fraulein" he mocked as he chased the blonde.

"We'll see about that!" Louisa retorted as she ran off in the opposite direction. The Captain briefly wondered where his teammates were before turning back to Maria.

"I'm sorry" he apologize, relieved when she shook her head at his words with a smile.

"Not for the distraction – that's my duty." They both laughed. "No, I'm sorry that you have been through so much, that you had to face so much heart ache."

"I keep thinking back to Liesl's Newtonian mechanics, that every actions has an equal and opposite reaction. I'm just waiting for the good to come pouring in." Maria joked back, and she and the Captain laughed again.

"So what can I do to help?" the Captain asked after scaring off little Gretl again. "I am well acquainted with Heinz Werner, a developmental psychologist working out of Vienna. I am certain that if you would like to meet with him, I could arrange something. If you would like to contact this French Dr. Lemoine, by all means the telephone is at your disposal. I don't know how much research you would like to do, but the Austrian National Library at the Hofburg Palace is extremely well-stocked. I am well acquainted with many of the teachers at the children's school if you would like to speak with them or perhaps shadow?"

Maria gulped as she was suddenly faced opportunity she would have never thought possible. The Captain's suggestions all sounded very appealing, but…

"That is very kind, Captain, but then I could not be here with the children."

"Nonsense –I would consider it an investment. I'll give you a week off, and in return I will get a governess who is also a qualified teacher! Seems like a smart move on my part" the Captain was grinning cheekily, certain he had put Maria in a position she could not refuse.

"Captain, I've been to Vienna once in my life, I couldn't possibly travel there."

"I will handle everything. Tomorrow I will have Franz take you to the school here in Salzburg to meet with a couple of the teachers there, get some opinions and whatnot for your subjective data. The next day he will drive to Vienna – Liesl and Friedrich can accompany you, of course if you don't mind, and buy school supplies. Take as much material out of the library as you may require – I can have it returned later on. I apologize, I would join you to Vienna, but…"

Maria nodded in understanding. The Baroness and her friends were prominent figures in Vienna, and it would be a very awkward position for all involved for the Captain to run into any of them, the wounds were too fresh.

"Oh, and naturally you have full access to my library, and the study will be completely yours – feel free to spread out and make yourself comfortable. I'll move any papers I need out of there tonight."

"Captain, that isn't necessary-"Maria began, but suddenly the 'jail' she had forgotten she was entrapped in was being flanked from three sides by Gretl, Friedrich, and Louisa.

"Where is my backup?" the Captain laughed as he took off after Friedrich, yelling "you will never take her alive!"

Maria watched, impressed, as he rounded the boy around so that he cut off his own sister, causing Liesl to have to do some fancy footwork to prevent herself from tripping as she took off away from the camp.

"We want our Maria back!" Gretl was yelling as she approached the jail from the side, but the Captain's strategic experiences outdid the young girls, and before long she was squealing as he threw her up in the air and caught her in his arms.

"She's not going anywhere!" he laughed. "Now back to your side."

As Gretl turned to walk away, the Captain turned back to Maria.

"It may not be necessary, but it is how it will be. And you are my prisoner and must do as I say."


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: One trait that the children didn't tell Maria when they first met their new governess is resilience - they won't stop fighting for what this want. This is only Plan B - fairytale :)**

_Chapter Forty-Four_

The rest of the week passed much too quickly, yet extremely slowly at the same time for Maria. She took up all of the Captain's offers for contacts, as well as made her own calls to the hospital and social worker's office and arranged meetings. She allowed herself four days of solid research. The first was the trip to Vienna – she travelled alone as Liesl and Friedrich both deemed school-supply shopping so early too depressing. Unlike her previous visit, she saw nothing except the inside of several schools and libraries and returned back to the villa as the sun was starting to rise the next day.

For the rest of the week, each morning she would wake up before the sunrise and with Franz at the wheel, would read or write as she travelled to wherever she would be spending the day. She did not allow herself to take any time off to see the sights of the city, contenting herself with the dream that she could someday return on her own and take as much time as she pleased. Innsbruck, Lucerne and Munich are truly beautiful cities, but she would not allow her eyes to move from her work. Nights she would stay up well past midnight transcribing her notes from the interviews and from her readings into the various topics she intended to cover in her paper. After her allotted four days of research were complete, Maria spent two solid days writing. During this time the Captain would bring her meals in the study, but drew the line at allowing her to sleep there – he was determined she would get at least five hours in each night.

During this time, the children barely saw their governess. While playing outdoors they sometimes could catch a glimpse of her working in the study, but it was only at bedtime when she insisted on tucking them each in and reading to the young girls that they had any true contact with her. All seven had been constantly pestering their father about what Maria had been doing all week, but he would only respond that it was something very important to her that she had very little time to do, and not to ask her about it. The children knew how to listen to their father when he spoke in a serious tone.

Two nights after their game of capture the flag, the five eldest had again gathered in Liesl and Louisa's bedroom to review. While they all agreed that they had seen the Captain and Maria engaged in conversation, they were disappointed that the proverbial sparks were not yet flying. While their hope of putting the Captain in a protective role was playing out before their eyes, he was unfortunately protecting her from her own workaholic nature rather than an external force; so much of his effort was lost. Maria was appreciative of everything he was doing; however, she was too absorbed in her work to take notice of everything occurring around her.

They had come to the consensus to pause their plans until Maria returned to their full-time governess and the situation returned to normal, and prayed that it would be as soon as possible.

Their prayers were answered Monday evening, when Maria shocked all seven of them by coming to join them at the table. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was pale, but unlike when she had been sick she was practically vibrating with excitement. The children were so relieved to have their governess back that they did not notice the joy in the Captain's eyes when he joined them in the dining hall.

He had just been to the post-office where he had paid an extraordinarily large amount to have Maria's paper sent to Vienna so that it would be on the Dean's desk by 9:00 the following morning, the deadline. He had spoken with the manager of the post office directly to make sure there would be no problems, and phoned the college to let them know to anticipate the paper's arrival. Maria had not allowed him to read her paper, too nervous about the outcome of her degree, but from the notes that he had managed to sneak a peek at, he was certain that the board would be thoroughly impressed with the work she had put in. Though completed within a week, he was certain it exceeded the standards set by those who spent months on the same.

"Fraulein Maria are you finished your project?" Gretl asked her as Frau Schmidt entered carrying plates of food, followed by Liesl and Louisa who had taken to helping the older woman.

"I am, darling." Maria responded.

"Now can you tell us what you were doing?" Kurt asked, ignoring the angry stares from his father.

"I'm sorry Kurt, but when the time is right I will make sure you are one of the first to know – how does that sound?"

Kurt agreed dubiously.

As soon as dinner was finished the Captain all but pushed Maria towards her room while claiming that after a week of no sleep it was vital that she make up the missed hours.

The children were more than happy to retire early themselves – they had a lot to talk about under the cloak of darkness.

Friedrich was on watch, and as soon as he saw the Captain's bedroom light flicker off, he woke Kurt, and tapped five times on the older girls' door.

"She's done" Liesl began their pseudo-meeting.

"Done what, though?" Friedrich voiced the question on all their minds. "What could possible make her leave the city for four days straight and then hole up in the study like a hermit for another couple? And it obviously must be something important – father supported what she was doing completely, bringing her food and allowing her in his study."

"Well he was looking out for her like we had hoped, though not because of our scheming, and yet I still don't hear bells ringing." Louisa added wryly.

"So where do we go from here?" Liesl asked, rubbing her tired eyes.

"If you're looking for a happily ever after, there's only one place to look." Brigitta answered decidedly. "Fairytales"

"Like Little Red Riding Hood?" Kurt asked.

"Yes Kurt, because we're hoping to get Maria eaten." Louisa answered as seriously as she could.

"That's a folk tale Kurt, but close. I was thinking more something along the lines of Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast."

"Well we're short a fairy godmother, and trying to avoid balls, so trying to follow that model is out" said Friedrich.

"But there may be something we can use in Belle's love story..." Liesl was thinking aloud.

"Who's Belle?" asked Kurt, who had always avoided the fairy tales in literature classes at school.

Liesl glanced at Brigitta, who signaled back to continue on with the story.

"Well Belle is one of the main characters in Beauty and the Beast. At the beginning of the story, her father who has recently lost all the family's money is lost in the forest only to find a castle. When he enters the castle, he is confronted by a beast unlike anything he had ever seen before. The beast demands that the father stay within the confines of the grounds, as a prisoner, forever, or to leave with the promise of sending his daughter to the castle instead. Belle, this man's youngest daughter, willingly takes residence in the castle to free her father, and becomes close with the beast. The beast soon asks her to marry him, yet she refuses claiming they are only friends. This same occurrence transpires every night. Eventually, as time passes, Belle becomes homesick, and the beast permits her to return to her family if her promises to return within a week. At home, her sisters are jealous of Belle's fortune of living in a castle and fake heartache at the thought of her departure, so Belle agrees to stay at home longer than her allotted week. One evening she looks into a magical mirror and sees the beast almost dead. Without wasting a moment she returns to the castle and proclaims her love for him, changing him back into a price."

"Very touching" Louisa rolled her eyes at Friedrich, who repeated the action. Only Brigitta seemed enamoured by Liesl's retelling of the classic. "So what's your idea?"

"Well Belle didn't realize she loved the beast until she was separated from him."

"Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great." Brigitta quoted DeBussy-Rabutin. "Liesl you might be a genius!"

"Never thought I'd hear that from you, Brig" Liesl smiled at her younger sister. "Usually the compliment is going the other way, but thank you.

"Care to explain to the common folk? " Louisa yawned.

"We separate them. Half of us go with father for the day, half with fraulein Maria. We keep them busy but apart."

"Why would we want to do that? Fraulein Maria has been working almost constantly on her paper and has hardly spoken to anyone, including father, in days!"

"All the better. When Belle was in the castle she was almost constantly reading, but the beast always knew where to find her. It was only when she had left his confines that they were actually separated."

"Louisa, we might as well go along with it. Who knows? Stranger things have worked out before." Friedrich shrugged, and the children began to discuss their plans for the next day.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Welcome back to the first part of "Plan B - Fairytale"! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!**

_Chapter Forty-Five_

They put their plan into action at noon, noticing that it had recently started raining, which would facilitate their plan.

"Fraulein Maria, now that you are done your project, could you help us with one of our own?" Brigitta asked the following morning through a mouthful of toast.

"Of course. What do you have in mind?"

"Well this year I have to take a home economics class, and one of the skills we're supposed to be able to demonstrate is cooking. I don't think I've even been in the kitchen in over a year, let alone ever used the stove. Could you teach me how to cook?"

"Brigitta, I'd love to help you, but I never learned how to cook from somebody else, I just taught myself. I'm sure that I won't have the techniques that you're looking for. And I'm afraid that the cook may not like having us in his way while he prepares the meals."

"Why don't we make supper for the family? I'm sure Liesl Kurt, Marta and Gretl would love to help us out, and Liesl can teach me the techniques that she learned already. Oh please fraulein Maria, you wouldn't have to do anything!"

"And what about you two, Friedrich and Louisa, what are you two going to do all day?" Maria asked only to be interrupted by Marta

"I don't want to spend the stay in the kitchen!" Marta exclaimed, then leaned in close to whisper in Maria's ear "there are dead birds in the top of the refrigerator!"

Maria bit back a laugh.

"I thought that I would ask father if he would consider teaching me some piano?" Friedrich asked, surprising both his governess and the Captain.

"Piano?" he asked "Friedrich, you have never shown any interest in playing the piano before."

"I had never been exposed to as much music as I have been recently" he responded in a matter-of-fact tone to which the Captain could not respond.

Louisa was quick to join in.

"If there are piano lessons happening, I'd much rather spend my day learning music than baking a cake. Tried it before – complete disaster. I was given an automatic pass in home ec as long as I promised never to enter their kitchen again. What do you say, Marta – would you like to learn to play the piano too?"

Easily the most easy-going of all the children, Marta nodded and smiled, proud to have been asked personally for her opinion.

So it was decided – half of the household would spend their day in the kitchen preparing a meal while the other half would be in the music room, learning scales and arpeggios.

As it has been written, 'the best laid schemes of mice and men / Go oft awry'.

The group aimed at music lessons made their way towards the living room with the piano and guitar, where the Captain had them sit in a quasi-circle before passing out some sheet music. Before he would allow anybody to touch his beautiful grand, there were some lessons that had to be taught first.

"Has fraulein Maria taught you to read music?" he asked, not sure how far into their musical education they were.

Louisa shook her head. "She taught us the notes of the scale – Do Re Mi and so on – and that they correspond to certain alphabetic letters, - Do is C, Re is D, Mi is E…like that. But we have been working on… I believe she calls it ear training?"

The Captain nodded. "That doesn't surprise me – good singing is very dependent on a good ear. Piano too can be played entirely by ear, but as she's already working on that with you, today let's concentrate on some sight pieces. Now in front of you are five lines with a squiggly symbol at its left-most end. The symbol is called the treble clef, and the one below it that sort of looks like a question mark with two dots is the bass clef. Depending on where the notes are sitting, on or between certain lines, will indicate a different note. We'll start with the treble clef – quite simply the notes on the line are E, G, B, D, F or every good boy deserves fudge."

The three children laughed and Friedrich applauded. Marta was only understanding every third word, but was content to be with the 'big kids' and her father for the day.

"Now the notes in the spaces of the lines spell FACE. Each of these notes corresponds to a different note on the piano. Now we have to look at each note by itself to determine how long it should be held before moving on to the next…"

The Captain continued to explain a very basic level of theory – he knew many piano teachers did not teach the theory right away and opted instead for students to learn as they plunk away at the keys, but his instructor had been very adamant right from the beginning that before a pianist, no matter their skill-level, should place one finger on the keyboard, he should examine the music to the point that he can hear the melody line such that once the fingers touch the key, they can anticipate their next movement. This strategy had always served him well in the past, and he believed it was an important lesson to pass on to his offspring. Not to mention his protectiveness of the instruments he took care of with great precision.

Halfway through their lesson Maria knocked gently on the door.

"I am sorry for interrupting, but Captain I was wondering if you had a bain-marie? The recipe the children are following requires one."

"A what?" the Captain asked.

"A Bain-Marie."

"And what is that?"

Maria shrugged and with a laugh said "well I was hoping you would know!"

The Captain set down his papers, making his way to get up.

"Father, let me help fraulein Maria!" Friedrich said quickly, remembering their plan for the day.

"You know what a bain-marie is?" the Captain asked, and had to laugh at the boy's sheepish shake of his head. "Why don't you review with your sisters what we have gone over and I'll be back right away.

Friedrich looked at Louisa and the two audibly sighed as he left the room with Maria. So much for that plan!

The cooking group had started off without any difficulties, the children pouring over recipe books that the cook had gladly handed over before hanging up his apron and taking the rest of the day off as an unexpected holiday. After a heated discussion on the merits of nutrition versus taste, the children had finally decided on a chicken dinner with roasted potatoes and vegetables, followed by an apple strudel for dessert- ambitious, but in Maria's mind attainable. As they were cooking for the benefit of Brigitta, they decided that instead of divvying up the work, they would have to create each dish separately so the girl could get a grasp on all the steps involved in the creation of each. They decided to start by making the strudel, and began collecting the ingredients and utensils required. This is when the 'bain-marie problem' had come into effect. The children had searched desperately for a utensil that they did not recognize so they could assume it was this mysterious tool, but none of them seemed to be remotely related to heating as the recipe suggested it should be. They had tried to stop Maria as she went to fetch the Captain, but that proved to be fruitless as well.

While half searched for strange looking appliances, the others were pouring over books owned by the cook looking for pictures. The Captain, though he had no idea what he was looking for, was a good sport, digging through the pots and pans.

Maria was leisurely flipping through pictures when she felt something tug on her hair. Her hand soon on her head, she turned to see the Captain tugging at a strand with a pair of tongs, a smile on his face.

"What do you know?" he laughed. "They really can pick up the most delicate pieces!"

"Tonight when there is hair in everybody's salad my cooking crew will take no responsibility!" said Maria.

"That's it!" said Liesl with relief as she pointed to an image in her book. She had been determined to sort out this problem as quickly as possible so as to get her father back with the other group and maintain the distance they were hoping to create. "A bain-marie is this pot-like thing that is used to gradually heat foods – that makes sense because the recipe calls for it to be used to make the custard for inside the strudel, and we don't want to make a crust on it while it cooks."

"We must have one" said Kurt "because we have strudel all the time."

Yet despite their search they could not find the elusive bain-marie.

The Captain took the book from Liesl and studied it closely for a moment.

"I don't see why you couldn't just boil water in one pot on the stove, and then put a second pot with your custard inside the water so it floats there."

Liesl contemplated this for a moment, then said "Problem solved. Thank you so much father, have fun with your music lesson" as she practically pushed him out of the kitchen.

The next challenge for this group was less technical – Gretl was determined participate even though she had never cooked before. The other children and Maria agreed to allow her to be the person to dump the pre-measured ingredients into the bowl and stir it all up when the time came. Unfortunately no one had taught Gretl anything about density and gravity – the first ingredient to be added was 4 cups of flour in the largest measuring cup of the kitchen.

Before anybody could stop her Gretl held the cup high up in the air and flipped it over without aiming. Instantaneously the fine white powder filled the air, coating the faces, hair, and clothing of everybody present – especially Maria who had tried to stop Gretl's actions but had only succeeded in becoming closest to the disaster.

After the flour settled, and eyes began to open, the kitchen was filled with uproarious laughter. Maria was bent over the counter trying to support herself at the stunned expression on Gretl's face, mirror by the horrified one on Liesl's. Tears formed in her eyes and tried to roll down her cheeks, but only succeeded in creating a paste that smudged white streaks as she tried to clean herself up.

It took almost five minutes for them all to calm down before they were able to continue with their mixing. Even then, every time they would begin their work again, one person would start to snicker, which would cause everybody else to laugh, and they would have to begin the process again.

Maria instructed Kurt to go to the fridge and grab three eggs while Louisa added the sugar to the bowl, hoping to keep the young boy from the sweet substance as long as she could. Unfortunately, just as he was nearing the group Liesl shook her head vehemently at something Louisa was teaching Brigitta, causing a small cloud of flour to poof out from her thick hair.

With closed eyes from being mid-laugh, Kurt could not see the corner of the rug was overturned, and by the time he felt it catching his foot in place, it was too late to stop the eggs from propelling out of his hands as he fought to keep his balance. He heard three smacks, and momentarily kept his eyes shut for fear of where they landed.

As fortune would have it, two of them hit Maria square on – one staining the bottom of her dress and the other slowly running down her right arm, coating her hand.

Comically, both of Kurt's hands flew to cover his mouth, his eyes wide above them. "I'm so sorry!' he gasped as he tried to contain his laughter.

Maria moved some hair out of her eyes with her hand, effectively smearing the yellow yolk along her forehead as she laughed good-naturedly.

"Accidents happen" she said as the other children tried to catch their breath at the sight of their governess covered in goo and white powder.

"I leave you alone for ten minutes…" an amused voice came from behind Maria.

Her heart felt like it skipped a beat and she was sure the egg would fry on her cheeks as she slowly turned to see the Captain in his pristine suit taking in the situation.

The sight of Maria's front, covered in egg that had not been visible on the back of her dress was enough to undo the stoic man, forcing him to support himself on the doorframe as his body shook with laugher.

"Is there something you wanted, Captain?" Maria asked trying her best to sound annoyed at his laughter but failing miserably to contain her emerging chuckles.

"I had been hoping you could help me tune the other piano so the children could split up to practice."

"The other piano?" Maria asked. She had only ever seen the one the Captain played _Amor Di Mi Alma_ on what seemed like years ago.

The Captain was momentarily shocked when he was again reminded that Maria had not been a part of his life for that long – it felt like she had been with them forever, and with all the intimate details she knew about his life it seemed ridiculous that she should not know he had two pianos – the antique she had seen him playing on, and a baby grand he kept tucked away in a room adjacent to both his study and the terrace. He had sound-proofed the room many years ago so he could play in the evenings if he wanted, but it had not been touched since it was moved into the room. He felt it was high time to pull it out. Unfortunately, C-major at the moment sounded mildly like a dying bird as the loose string wobbled about.

He had been surprised at how insistent the children were that they did not need two pianos to practice on as soon as he mentioned Maria could help him tune it – he would have thought they would have relished the opportunity to play such a beautiful instrument – but regardless he had a sudden desire to get the instrument working once more.

"It's in the room by my study – obviously I haven't played it in years."

"Captain I'm no piano repairman…" Maria said.

"I know how to adjust the strings, but my ears aren't sensitive enough to tell me when the note is on pitch." The Captain explained.

"I don't know if mine will be either, but if I could be of any help…"

"Why don't you change first and meet me in the study?" the Captain suggested.

"But Fraulein!" Liesl interjected, visibly elbowing Brigitta in the side. "We need your help fixing dinner."

"You are all doing well without me"

A pointed look at her dress from everybody in the room.

"Well, perhaps you'd do better without me standing in the way and acting as a visible target."

"We can do it, Fraulein Maria!" came little Gretl's reply, much to the chagrin of her siblings.

"That's the right attitude Gretl. And if you need anything I'll be just a few rooms away."

With that Maria followed the Captain out of the kitchen and moments later her feet could be heard pounding up the staircase.

"Well so much for that!" Brigitta leaned against the counter and crossed her arms in exacerbation.

"Brigitta you give up too easily" Liesl chided. "If fraulein Maria is going to be busy tuning the piano all afternoon, we just have to make sure Father has something to do here with us!"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Oh relax, I don't plan on burning down the kitchen."

Both of the older sisters had a brief laugh as Kurt's face suddenly turned ashen at the mere suggestion.

"It can't be a problem as simple as following a recipe, or father would never believe it. But it has to be complicated enough that it will take a while to fix, at least until fraulein Maria finishes with that piano." Brigitta continued as her eyes scanned over the kitchen until they came to rest on one particular appliance.

"Perfect. And his growling stomach will be the perfect incentive to get to work right away."


	46. Chapter 46

_Chapter Forty-Six_

_At least I should have very shiny hair when this is all over_ Maria mused as she stepped out from the shower's spray, shivering slightly at the cool air. Why women purposefully rubbed egg in their hair was beyond her – just remembering the sensation of the cool goo dripping down her scalp akin to a snail crawling through her hair was enough to turn her off the idea permanently.

She barely dried herself before slipping on an ice blue dress she had recently finished – it was a very bold color compared to what she normally chose for herself, but the fabric had been a gift from the Captain and the material was clearly very expensive – heavy yet butter-soft to the touch.

_At least this fabric won't show a wet stain on the back when my hair starts to drip_ she thought as she slipped on her flats and gently closed the door behind her.

Descending the stairs she could hear the sour notes, presumably from the mysterious second piano, emerging from the study.

Maria was not prepared for the beauty that awaited her as she walked through the door that she had never noticed before. A Steinway grand piano with visible strings that seemed to stretch across the entire room filled a room Maria could not believe she had never seen before. The ceiling was high, with large windows occupying their entire height and covered in deep red curtains that had been pulled back to allow some sunlight in. An antique desk was placed against one wall adorned by a gold-plated mirror that was large enough to reflect Maria's entire figure, and the floor shiny enough to do the same. But none of that mattered in light of the magnificent instrument nearly blocking the exit to a hidden door on the terrace.

"Oh Captain, it's magnificent" she breathed as he rummaged through the desk drawers, pushing aside piles of sheet music until he pulled out a small tool kit.

"I wish I could show you how it sounds – when it is in tune it is truly spectacular" the Captain was momentarily lost in a memory until Louisa hit what was supposed to be middle C…but most certainly was not.

"Sharp" Maria automatically responded, eliciting a smile from the children. Neither Louisa nor Friedrich had invested much hope is this separation plan from the get go, and felt very little need to make sure it was carried out accordingly. Marta was quite content simply watching the exchanges going on around her as he practiced drawing treble clefs on the staff paper.

The Captain's hands entered into the large beast and a slight sound of metal clinking could be heard. He instructed Maria to try the key again, the sound this time a little lower but still not to Maria's taste.

Friedrich sighed as he returned to his seat beside Marta and began flipping through a book about the structure of Chopin's waltzes. Clearly this would take a long time.

Maria and the Captain had managed to tune almost one full octave when the clomping of feet alerted them to the arrival of the other children. Unconsciously Maria turned to the clock, realizing that it was already almost 17h00. Supper should be ready in an hour and a half, and she hoped the children had everything under control. Maria felt bad – she had been planning on returning to the kitchen to check on them, but she had been so enjoying her time with the Captain and his Steinway that this had not happened.

"Father, we need your help!" Brigitta was out of breath as she made it to the doorway first, followed by her siblings.

"Help with what, Brigitta?"

"We can't get the oven to start!"

Maria felt the first tingling sensation of worry in her stomach. The food was supposed to have been cooking for a half-hour already. They could eat at 19h00, but only if the oven began to work immediately.

"Did you turn the correct dial?" the Captain asked, carefully placing his tools back in the small box.

Liesl stepped forward. "I tried as well father, and Brigitta was doing everything right. It just won't turn on."

"I suppose I'd better take a look. Of all the days for it to quit on us…" With a furrowed brow the Captain followed his eldest daughter out of the room.

Maria began to follow him, but was stopped by Brigitta.

"Fraulein there's no use you going to the kitchen as well. Too many cooks and whatnot. Why don't you keep working on tuning the piano?" she suggested, trying desperately to act nonchalantly.

"I'm sure there's very little I can do in the kitchen, but it will be more than here. I don't know how to tighten or loosen strings, and a Steinway is not an instrument to learn or practice on! Why don't you, Kurt, and Gretl stay here and get Friedrich, Louisa and Marta to teach you what they have learned today?"

With a defeated look Brigitta gingerly flopped down on the ground beside the stack of papers. _Well so much for that plan_ she grumbled to herself as she watched the last swath of blue fabric turn the corner. _And now we won't get dinner either…Father would be far too suspicious if we just waltzed into the kitchen and fixed the problem. The entire play was a complete failure. At least fraulein Maria looks lovely in that dress…_

Things were not going well in the kitchen – the Captain had assessed the situation only to determine that indeed the oven was not turning on. After checking the dial used to adjust the temperature, examining the element inside, and even going so far as to change the light-bulb in the oven all he had succeeded to do was to waste enough time that it was a half hour before the children's dinner time.

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, effectively musing it from its normal style. Maria silently sat on the countertop with her legs dangling as she read through the instruction manual that had come with the appliance. Every so often she would suggest a repair, which the Captain would try, yet to no avail.

By the time it was a half hour after when dinner should have been served, Maria suggested to Liesl who had been going back and forth between the kitchen and her siblings that they should make something for the children to eat.

Looking longingly at the uncooked chicken garnished in spices, the baby potatoes mixed with onions and dill, and the colorful vegetables drizzled with olive oil, both waiting to be roasted, as well as the uncooked apple strudel, Liesl was filled with self-directed anger. Had it not been for their meddling they could have all been enjoying a wonderful meal. Now it appeared as though they were having…

"Grilled cheese sandwiches and soup" Maria announced as she pulled out a pot and a frying pan. With a look of confidence she turned the dial to turn on the element on top of the stove.

Within an instant the Captain's eyes met Maria, and they simultaneously cursed their own stupidity. How could they not have thought to check if the elements were working? They watched in complete horror three seconds, ten, thirty, until they were both certain that there would be no heat emerging.

"It must be electrical" the Captain shook his head at his own tunnel-vision as he easily moved the stove slightly away from the wall.

Sure enough, lying next to the outlet was the loose cord lying on the ground.

"Cook must have unplugged it when he was cleaning the oven last night." said Liesl quickly, then added "I could smell the cleaning product he uses when I came down for some water before bed."

Maria took the liberty of placing the plug-in back in the socket. Seeing the element turn red and the light in the stove turn on, she began to chuckle. Her laughter was joined by the Captain, and together they could barely push the appliance back into its place their sides were paining them so much.

"I suppose we might as well cook this meal" said Maria, gesturing to the roasters. "If we leave chicken meat unfrozen too long there's a high risk of food poisoning, and the yeast in the strudel will get old quickly if we don't get it baking."

"Fraulein Maria, it will take three hours for this all to be ready. That's 10:00 at night – we will all be asleep by then."

"I'm sure I can handle taking it out of the oven" the Captain said wryly. "If necessary, I can always just unplug it again."

With the help of Liesl, a meal of homemade tomato soup the cook had frozen and grilled cheese sandwiches toasted with garlic salt was prepared within a half hour and the dining room was soon quieted by the children eating as though they had never seen food before.

Maria and the Captain did not join them for dinner – they were too busy working away. The children had chosen to eat at the table in the kitchen, and watched as Maria continued to prepare grilled cheese sandwiches trying to keep up with the demand (it seemed like the plate was always empty!) and the Captain struggled to put away the hundreds of bolts, screws, and wires he had spilled from the tool-chest onto the floor while pretending to be an over repairman and re-assemble the oven that he had efficiently taken apart only minutes before.

Gretl, surprisingly the last one still eating, finally announced she was full as the Captain slid the oven rack back into place.

"Excellent timing Gretl." With a twist of the knob the oven's light lit and the Captain saw the element turn on. The door still open, he placed the children's 'creations' in and closed the door.

"Aren't you and Fraulein Maria going to eat, Father?" asked Kurt as he realized Maria was cleaning up the soup pot and frying pan.

"We are looking forward to your chicken dinner later on tonight – that is, of course, if you don't mind us having some."

The children were quick to assure them they could have the entire meal. Leftovers were not a popular choice.

"Well children, I'm afraid Fraulein Maria and I have work to do – I would like to get that piano tuned. It has been sitting alone for far too long. Do you think you can keep yourselves busy for the rest of the evening?"

With seven nods the Captain and Maria left the kitchen, deciding to do the dishes after the meal in the oven was finished so they would only have to run the water once.

Once they were certain the two adults were a safe distance away, Brigitta glumly looked at her siblings.

"Well so much for that plan" she grumbled, content to see that Gretl and Marta were occupying themselves by building towers out of the sugar cubes they had found in a cupboard.

"They spent the entire day together!" Liesl agreed. "And we didn't even get our apple strudel!"

"And it seems like they'll be up late together tonight as well" Friedrich added as a sour 'D' sounded through the house. "Knowing father he won't let fraulein Maria go to bed until the job is done."

"Knowing fraulein Maria she will make him tune the guitar as well tonight." Brigitta added with a laugh. "When Maria makes up her mind to do something she can be as stubborn as father!"

"Should we try again tomorrow? To keep them separated I mean?" Friedrich asked as he hoisted himself up onto a countertop to sit.

"Anyone have any ideas how we could do that?" responded Liesl in a doubtful tone.

After a beat, Louisa joined in the conversation. "I don't know if any of you felt it, but I felt really bad today watching father struggle with the oven when I knew what was wrong with it."

"And trying to stall fraulein Maria in the kitchen so she wouldn't help Father felt wrong." Liesl added.

"What if all we're doing is keeping them apart so long they find somebody else?" said Brigitta.

"Can we just take a break? We only have a week and a half before school starts and I don't want to be exhausted for the first day back." suggested Louisa.

"Come on, Louie, you know you'll sleep through the first day anyways." Laughed Friedrich as he dodged a rolling pin aimed to poke him between the ribs.

"Why don't we sleep on it? If someone thinks of an idea that might work, then we'll go with it. If not, we'll wait and see what the new school year brings." Brigitta made the decision.

"Remind me to make sure father closes the door to the piano room before we go to bed" Louisa winced as 'D' was played again, still terribly sharp. "Something tells me his soundproofing may be the best investment he ever made."


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: For all Maria/Georg shippers, I think you're going to enjoy this chapter immensely - I had a lot of fun writing it! I thought about dividing it into 2 chapters, but I felt it all went together so well, it can be one very long one! The music referenced later is from ****_The Mikado - _****if you get a chance, listen to the songs on youtube; they're a lot of fun. It is a musical that Maria and Georg would probably have been familiar with, as Gilbert and Sullivan were well-known in this time. Enjoy!**

**_Chapter Forty-Seven_**

An hour after the children had been put to bed Maria and the Captain's work was well over three quarters of the way finished. After beginning at middle C they had continued to the highest note on the piano, and were about halfway the descending pattern when suddenly a persistent beeping tone disrupted the light conversation they had been carrying on between plucked notes.

"Captain, what's that noise?" Maria asked suddenly, surprising the Captain who had been so absorbed in the conversation and the task at hand that he had not heard the beeping.

"The oven!" he said as he extricated his fingers from the strings. "I imagine you must be starving – how would you feel about taking a break and having something to eat?"

"That sounds wonderful – I was beginning to confuse my growling stomach with the note!" she joked.

Together they walked side by side into the kitchen. Without a word Maria removed the dishes from the oven, admiring the children's work. Everything smelt wonderful, and she was impressed that they had arranged their menu so everything would be finished roasting at the same time. The Captain meanwhile was collecting plates and silverware from the cupboards.

The Captain didn't have to ask Maria where she would like to eat – after being cooped up inside the kitchen and then his music room all day both she and he both needed some air.

Grabbing a damp dishrag on his way out of the kitchen, he gestured for Maria to follow with the large roaster of their dinner.

Once outside, he quickly wiped down the table that was covered in a fine layer of dust that had settled over the course of a couple days and laid down two placements on either side of the small round wooden table. Maria was close behind him, placing the roaster in the middle of the table with a pitcher of iced tea she had found in the fridge.

"Have a seat, mademoiselle." The Captain gestured grandly at the wooden chair that matched the table.

"Why thank you good sir." Maria allowed the Captain to push her chair forward and towards the table.

Like any good maître d', the Captain held the pitcher on iced tea in one hand, supporting it from behind with his other wrist.

"Made from the finest tea lives directly from China." He announced grandly.

"What year?" Maria tried to contain her laugh as she went along with the Captain.

"1932" he replied, choosing the first year that came to mind.

"A good year." She agreed and gestured for him to pour some into the tall glass.

He poured only a swallow full, and Maria swirled it around the bottom, took a sniff at the top of the glass, swirled it in her mouth and then finally swallowed.

"Wonderful." She finally announced with a wide smile as the Captain filled her glass to the rim and then his own.

The Captain took her plate and placed on it a generous helping of potatoes and vegetables before handing it back to her and filling his own with the same as well as chicken.

"You didn't give me any chicken." Maria noted with surprise.

The Captain's movements paused for a moment before he answered.

"I apologize Maria, I didn't think you ate meat."

"I don't!" she quickly assured him "But no one has ever noticed that about me. Even at the abbey every day I would feed whatever meat I was given to the poor dog who lived in the alley behind our gates. We were good friends. I named him Sir Sniffs-A-Lot."

"I don't imagine you learned to taste wine like that at the abbey?" the Captain raised a single eyebrow at her and was intrigued when Maria's cheeks became just a little darker in the faint light of the patio.

"Oh come now Maria with a reaction like that there must be a story."

"I may have been mimicking somebody." She bit her bottom lip as she looked at him.

"Max?"

Maria nodded, shaking her head slightly at the memory of the waiter's incredulous look every time Max would take nearly five minutes to decide on a wine.

"Does it still hurt to talk about him?" the Captain asked as gently as he could as they began to eat their meal.

"Every day is a little better than the one before. There are still times when I feel down but I've been down but there has been so much going on and the children help tremendously. Quite honestly I get more butterflies in my stomach thinking about what the review board will think of my paper than when I think about Max."

"Looking towards the future instead of the past – Dr. Saeger would be very impressed." Said the Captain as he munched on a roasted carrot.

"Well there's still one part of my past I need to make peace with" Maria took a breath before continuing. This was something she had been thinking about for a while now. "Regardless of what the review board decides, I think we both know I will never be a nun."

The Captain nodded silently. He had a feeling anyone who knew Maria ten minutes would know it. It was apparent to him the first time they had met and she blew that whistle at him that her spirit was far too free to be confined within a habit and the stonewalls.

"I would like to return to Nonneburg Abbey sometime soon and tell the Reverend Mother in person. I could never tell her by phone of my decision, and to not-return without a word would be unthinkable after she took me in when I had nowhere else to go."

"Absolutely – we can go whenever you would like."

"I know she won't expect me for another week and a half, but my mind is made up and she deserves to know so she can start making long-term plans for the choir."

"Is that the only reason you're so eager to get back there?"

Maria paused to consider what the Captain was asking. She hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about her motivations to return, she just knew that it was something that had to be done.

"I suppose I need that closure." She began slowly. The Captain was very patient as she stumbled with her words. "Maybe…well I think anyways that as long as the Reverend Mother is expecting me, everything that you described for me – getting a teaching job at the school, working as the children's governess here throughout the year, continuing to live in the villa – all these dreams are, well, exactly that. Dreams. I feel like everything that's happened these past few months haven't truly happened to me – from the moment I met Max back at the abbey to right now, in my mind, are all things that could never happen to me, and I'm certain that at any moment I could wake up in my small bed to the sound of pounding on my door and a voice telling me I'm late for service and I'll be forced to come back to the reality that I will never find the joy and peace that I have in this home with you, with the children and even with God."

"Any speaking to the Reverend Mother will help?"

"She is a magnificent woman – not only in her devotion to God but in her love for all the sisters and postulants. I have gone to her with many problems in the past and she always knew what to say."

"Why don't we go tomorrow then?" the Captain suggested.

"I'm sorry Captain, but 'we' ?" Maria asked in surprise.

"Franz has taken the week off to travel to Germany with his wife so I will be driving you."

"Oh Captain there's no need. Surely I can walk into town."

"Nonsense. I cannot have you walking back to see the Reverend Mother – what would she think of my hospitality? Besides, I am certain tomorrow will be difficult, saying goodbye to your former life and you won't go through it alone. I will wait for you in the car and when you are finished we can have lunch in town and then return."

"But what about the children?"

"With only a week and a half before classes start, they have decided to start up their morning lessons again."

"If they're having lessons then I should surely remain here! I can go into town in the afternoon while they're playing."

"Maria please don't worry. Liesl has passed, with flying colors I might add, all the lessons the younger ones are completing and she can help them with whatever problems they may face. Not to mention the library in my study has all the resources they could ever require.

"You are too good to me, Captain" said Maria, reflecting on the ease with which he would allow her to take time off from her duties to do whatever it was she needed or wanted.

"Maria, now I must ask a favor from you."

"Anything." She was completely truthful – there was nothing she would not do for the man in front of her who had given her everything.

"Please call me Georg. At least when it is just us."

Maria was shocked at his request. In all her time at the villa, the only people she had ever heard call him Georg were Elsa and Max – even all the guests at his ball, his so-called 'friends', addressed him as Captain.

"Captain?" she asked.

"No, Georg." He corrected with a laugh.

"Are you sure?" Maria asked slowly, knowing full well that by addressing him by his first day they would be breaking many societal rules because of their difference in age, in class, in sex…and not to mention the employer-employee relationship.

"Only if you're comfortable. I won't be offended if you refuse."

"When we're alone," Maria agreed. She could never call him by his first name in the city where hundreds of eavesdroppers would love to start the gossip.

"Thank you Maria." He responded softly, taking her plate and his back inside only to emerge minutes later with two large pieces of Apfelstrudel and ice cream.

They were quiet for a few moments while they took their first bites of dessert. When Maria looked up from her dessert towards the Captain, she burst into peals of laughter.

"What?" asked the Captain, shocked at her outburst.

"Cap-Georg, what are you doing?" she gasped between chuckles, marveling at how easily his name rolled off her tongue. It was the first time she had uttered it.

The Captain smiled hearing his name from her lips for the first time. He remembered that Maria sat on the other side of the table at dinner and would not have seen the way he eats pies or strudels with ice cream.

"I'm making a dessert soup, of course," he explained. "You make sure that the ice cream is placed directly on the hot strudel and wait for it to melt, and then you have to mash up the pastry into large chunks so the creamy milk can cover as much surface area as possible, and then it has to be eaten with a spoon."

"Who taught you to eat dessert like that?" Maria laughed.

"My brother Werner and I used to eat our dessert every night like this. No matter what we were having – canned fruit, a pastry, pudding – whatever it was we would mush it up with ice cream. Our mother didn't mind as long as there was no company around."

"What about for desserts like watermelon?"

The Captain laughed.

"Funny you should mention watermelon – we had our own little game. With the juice we would make a 'lake' in our dishes, and then spit the black seeds into this lake as though they were small little people cliff diving. I remember Werner's favourite was to spit the seed from up high and yell out 'Cannonball!' as the seed splashed into the juice. We held little Olympics too – the winner was whoever made the biggest splash!"

Maria laughed along with the Captain.

"Werner sounds like a terrific brother." She said.

"He was my best friend. Max usually got the title, but it was always my brother first. We were inseparable and our interests close enough that we could have fun together but separate enough that we rarely fought."

"You must miss him terribly."

"I think about him every day – imagine what he would have been like with my children, if he would have had little ones of his own. When I received that transmission I was sure that I was deciphering the clicks wrongly. I made them repeat the message four times before a crewman pulled me away and told me I what I already knew was true and I needed to accept it."

Maria reached across the table and took the Captain's hand in her own.

"He would be so proud of you, Georg, and I'm sure he's in Heaven missing you as much as you miss him."

The Captain squeezed her cool hand in his warm one and smiled at the governess across the small table from him.

"Thank you" he responded and with some difficulty finished his dessert soup with his left hand, unable to bring himself to release the other's grasp.

"Are you tired?" he asked. It was nearing 11:30 at night and he knew that Maria was not one to stay up late.

"Actually I'm more awake now than I have been all day. The sugar must have gone to my brain!" Maria laughed.

"Then how would you feel about finishing up that piano? We only have a little more to go and then the job will be completed."

"It would be wonderful to get it finished, but won't the noise wake the children?"

"If we close all the doors, the room is sound-proofed so they won't hear a thing."

"Then it sounds like a plan" Maria agreed. To stand, they had to release each other's hand.

As soon as the Captain's hand left hers, Maria felt a surprising sense of loss. Her hand suddenly felt bare, her fingertips tingling, and her heart fell in her chest. She took her left had that had been wrapped in his and without thought touched it softly to her lips before using it to stack and carry the dishes back into the house.

She was so preoccupied, she did not notice the Captain, who stretched his fingers of his right hand as wide as he could before scrunching them up into a tight fist to compensate for the loss. He then followed Maria's lead and brought the rest of the dishes to the kitchen before making their way to the private music room. Neither spoke for fear of waking the children.

It was only once they were in the room with the doors secured that their conversation about this and that began again as they finished the work at hand.

Their job went surprisingly quickly and within the hour they were finished the entire keyboard.

"Well that's a job well done!" Maria smiled at the Captain as she stood from the piano bench to help the Captain put away the tools he had been using.

"Aren't you bright eyed and bushy tailed for half past midnight?" the Captain joked as Maria almost skipped towards him.

Maria paused her steps for a second, semi-shrugged, and continued.

"It was a good day." She simply stated. She had not taken the time to reflect on what had made it so wonderful – it was a relatively 'status quo' day as far as days went, but for the first time in weeks she had felt truly back to her old self. Sure ever since Dr. Saeger had talked to her and helped her see some of the good in her life and the Captain had promised her a better fugure, she had been feeling better day-by-day as she had described to the Captain, but it was today she had really noticed the difference. They had even talked about Max and she found she was essentially indifferent. She had retained fond memories of her time with him, but no longer harboured the animosity and hurt that used to plague her. She was free, and knowing that was the most joyful realization.

"It was, wasn't it? When the children suggested cooking and piano lessons I worried we would both have headaches by this time, but strangely enough the chaos made the day better than it would have been without."

"Well there's always going to be chaos in a house with seven children!" Maria laughed.

The Captain made his way to the piano. "Well now all that's left is to try it out!"

He placed his fingers on the keyboard, visibly took a deep breath, and to Maria's delight began playing a familiar up-beat tune.

With a full-bodied laugh, Maria sat on the piano bench beside the Captain and placed her fingers on the keyboard as well, playing a light harmony on the higher notes of the piano. The Mikado used to be her mother's favourite Gilbert and Sullivan musical, and they often would play and sing the score.

The Captain seemed surprised to hear Maria playing along with him, but was delighted when she began to sing:

_"Here's how-de-do!_

_If I marry you,_

_When your time has come to perish,_

_Then the maiden whom you cherish_

_Must be slaughtered too!_

_Here's a how-de-doo!_

_Here's a how-de-doo!"_

Without any visible communication between them, the Captain continued from where "Yum-Yum" had left off.

_"Here's a pretty mess!_

_In a month, or less_

_I must die without a wedding!_

_Let the bitter tears I'm shedding_

_Witness my distress,_

_Here's pretty mess!_

_Here's a pretty mess!"_

They did not have a third person like the song required, but the Captain took matters into his own hand, singing the third portion of the song in a British falsetto that had Maria nearly falling off the piano bench she was laughing so hard. Throughout the entire verse she probably managed to play one correct note.

_"Here's a state of things,_

_To her life she clings! _

_Matrimonial devotion_

_Doesn't seem to suit her notion-_

_Burial it brings!_

_Here's a state of things!_

_Here's a state of things!"_

Trying to pull themselves together, both the Captain and Maria's heads whipped around to sing directly to each other.

_"With a passion that's intense_

_I worship and adore,_

_But the laws of common sense_

_We oughtn't to ignore._

_If what he says is true,_

_'Tis death to marry you!_

_ Here's a pretty state of things!_

_Here's a pretty how-de-do!_

_Here's a pretty state of things,_

_A pretty state of things!"_

Maria thought that the Captain would stop playing here, but to her surprise his fingers simply switched to a different tune. Within the first four notes she picked up on the new song and with a grin molded her harmony to fit his melody.

The Captain, for his part, had meant only to play one song that he figured Maria of all people would know, but seeing her light up, with flushed cheeks, wide and sparkling eyes, a bright smile – he couldn't bring himself to stop, and this next song always made him laugh. He began to sing.

_"The flowers that bloom in the spring,_

_Tra la,_

_Breathe promise of merry sunshine_

_As we merrily dance and we sing_

_Tra la,_

_We welcome the hope that they bring,_

_Tra la,_

_Of a summer of roses and wine,_

_Of a summer of roses and wine,_

_And that's what we mean when we say that a thing_

_Is welcome as flowers that bloom in the spring._

_Tra la la la la la_

_Tra la la la la la _

_The flowers that bloom in the spring"_

The two continued to play the brief instrumental interlude. Maria was excited that the Captain had taken the first verse, for it was the second one that was one of the best verses of the entire musical. Her father used to sing this to her mother whenever she had been in a poor mood, and could do the best impressions of Ko-Ko who was being forced to marry an old woman.

_"The flowers that bloom in the spring_

_Tra la_

_Have nothing to do with the case._

_I've got to take under my wing,_

_Tra la,_

_A most unattractive old thing,_

_Tra la_

_With a caricature of a face,_

_With a caricature of a face._

_And that's what I mean when I say, or I sing,_

_'Oh bother the flowers that bloom in the spring'_

_Tral la la la la la _

_Tra la la la la la_

_'Oh bother the flowers of spring!' "_

The Captain shoulders were shaking with mirth at Maria's over-the-top portrayal of the grouchy Ko-Ko, complete with whichever hand she wasn't using to play the instrument waving about in the air just like the character did when he saw the live production years back. The disgusted look she had painted upon her face was a perfect replica and he had to fight to keep playing throughout.

One more song, he decided. This was the most fun that he had had in many years and it didn't look like Maria was eager to go to bed yet. He already knew which he would choose and was certain Maria would appreciate this selection.

Without providing the introduction to alert Maria to his choice, he burst into song, with his fingers following his voice.

_"Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted,_

_I would say in tender tone,_

_"Loved one, let us be united –_

_Let us be each other's own!"_

_I would merge all rank and station,_

_Worldly sneers are nought to us,_

_And, to mark my admiration, I would kiss you fondly thus"_

Maria by this point had realized the Captain's selection and was playing along on the piano. She realized almost too late that it was time for her to join in. While the Captain sang "I would kiss you fondly thus" again, she harmonized with "He would kiss me fondly thus"

She continued with the senseless part of the song (if a song such as this could be said to have any sense whatsoever).

_"But as I'm engaged to Ko-Ko,_

_To embrace you thus, con fuoco_

_Would distinctly be no gioco,_

_And for yam I should get toco-"_

"Toco!" the Captain chimed in.

"Toco!" Maria added, going back and forth repeating this word five times as their fingers flew in unison across the keys.

The Captain, continuing his role as the dashing Nanki-Poo continued the song.

_"So, in spite of all temptation,_

_Such a theme I'll not discuss,_

_And on no consideration_

_Will I kiss you fondly thus-"_

Here the Captain kissed into the air.

"Will I kiss you fondly thus-" Again he kissed into the air before continuing into the best part of the song.

_"Let me make it clear to you,_

_This is what I'll never do!_

_This, oh this, (kiss kiss)_

_Oh, this, (kiss)_

_Oh this (kiss)_

_This is what I'll never, never do!"_

It was up to the beautiful Yum-Yum (aka Maria) to finish up the song as the Captain had began.

_"This, oh this (kiss kiss)_

_Oh this – (kiss)_

_Oh this – (kiss)"_

The Captain and Maria's eyes were already locked as they fought to contain their laughter as they finished up the song together.

_"Oh this- (kiss)_

_Oh this- (kiss)_

_This, this is what I'll/he'll never do!"_

By the time the last words were sung, both were unable to play they were too busy clutching their sides that ached from a half hour of pure laughter.

"I suppose we'd better get to bed – I can't have you meeting with the Reverend Mother tomorrow with dark circles under your eyes."

Maria nodded and stood facing the Captain, unsure how to thank him for a wonderful evening without sounding tacky. To her surprise, he spoke first.

"Come, I'll walk you to your room."

"Georg you're sweet, but it's late and I'm sure you would like to be getting to bed as well."

The Captain couldn't help the enormous smile that came to his face when she said his name without hesitation or apparent thought. If there was any chance he was sleepy before it had since been eliminated.

"It's right on the way, and your stubbornness will get you nowhere" he grinned like a schoolboy, and Maria was defenseless.

To Maria's great surprise, the Captain extended his arm towards her, his intentions quite apparent.

Without allowing herself to think she wrapped her arm around his and allowed him to walk her up the stairs.

* * *

That night Maria stared at the ceiling for several hours before finally falling into a good dream. The events of the day – everything from the egg-and-flour shower the children had caused to the recent duet had her muffling her giggles into her pillow as scene by scene the day passed before her eyes. And there he was in the middle of every snapshot – his dark hair, eyes as green as the mountain-tops she loved, and that laugh that could shake the house off of its foundation.

She felt her entire body twitch – that same feeling of falling one gets when you are descending the stairs and think there is one less stair than there actually is.

He was her best friend – of this there was no question. No one at the abbey knew a fraction of the things she had shared with him, nor could they make her feel as joyful and protected as only his presence provided. After everything he had done for her she trusted him implicitly.

But there was more than trust, Maria realized as she forced herself to step back and categorize her emotions with as unbiased as she possibly could. The way her entire body temperature went up a degree whenever he looked at her, the light-headedness whenever they were standing close, the way everything seemed funnier than it probably was…

Maria sat up in bed, breathing hard but feeling like she couldn't catch her breath. Her stomach flipped at she had to close her eyes for a moment to stop the room from swirling.

_If this is what an epiphany feels like_ she thought to herself _Socrates was not given enough credit_.

The thought no sooner crossed her mind when she was chiding herself on thinking such ridiculous thoughts at such a moment.

_I love him._

It was so obvious she wondered that she had not realized it before. And as she thought it, she knew it to be true. Unlike with Max in the past, there were no doubts, no pressure. As clear as the knowledge that the B comes after A in the alphabet Maria knew.

She knew it was crazy – any psychologist would say she had fallen for him only because he 'saved' her, that it was not real. But she knew some part of her had been attracted to him since he first insulted her dress and blew his whistle. She reached for the bed-stand where she kept the whistle next to her lamp and held in tightly. But there was more than attraction, more than gratefulness and friendship. There weren't words to describe why she was feeling the way she was, but it was undeniable and felt right.

And then suddenly the world was that much more complicated as Maria recognized she could never tell the Captain about her feelings because…

…society would never allow them to be together …

…she was his employee…his ex-best friend's ex-girlfriend…an ex-postulant…

…he was her only true friend outside the abbey, and valued his friendship too much to risk losing it…

…after everything that he had given her – a friend, a home, a job, a chance to follow a dream abandoned years ago – she could never ask him for the one thing that he had just recently re-discovered- his heart…

…they both just had their hearts broken not a month ago…

…he had seen her at her lowest of lows, losing Max and battling the beginnings of depression…

…if Elsa was indicative of his taste in woman, he would never have any interest in her…

…he was a decade older than she…

…he had a home, a career, a family, a social standing – she had nothing to offer him…

And most importantly:

…For all these reasons, and probably more, he could never feel the same way…

Maria fell back onto her pillow and curled herself into a tight ball, willing these feelings to go back to where they had come from, her heart heavy as she tried to imagine how she would face the Captain…Georg…the next day. Everything had been going so well and now this. She wanted to regret accepting his offer to accompany her to the abbey, wanted to want to stay far away from him, but the thought of spending an entire morning together was too wonderful for her to consider asking him to stay behind.

She closed her eyes and willed sleep to take over so she could escape her own imagination.

Yet her mind was unstoppable and began to compare between the Captain…Georg… and Max, the only two men she had ever truly been close to. Within less than thirty seconds she recognized that the activity was futile – they could be compared no easier than the Swiss Alps to the Sahara Desert. They were too different on every level, as was the relationship she had with them. One relationship was rushed and demanding, the other a friendship that could never develop into anything more.

Nevertheless, as she began to drift off one striking difference, the most important one she would ever know came to mind. With the Captain she had never had regrets, shame, or fear. With him, everything felt simple.

And beauty is found in simplicity.

That is the key.


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N: Anyone ever wonder what the Reverend Mother said to the Captain before she sent Maria his way? Read on for my answer :) Wonder what the Reverend Mother would say to the Captain a couple months into Maria's placement with his family? Also included in this chapter! Haha, I think I need some sleep...I'm going loopy. Alright, anyways, I hope you enjoy Chapter 48! To you wonderful people that have been with me so far, and especially those that have been leaving me comments, thank you! **

_Chapter Forty-Eight_

The next morning when the Captain announced that the children had a choice of either beginning their lessons or taking a trip to the abbey, must to his amusement, the unanimous vote was to remain at the villa. He wasn't surprised when even after insisting that he would be checking to make sure that they indeed completed some work, they maintained their position. The thought of spending a good portion of the day in a church wasn't that appealing to him either, but he knew that though she would never admit it, Maria did not want to go alone.

After a quick breakfast, and 14 kisses (one for each child from Maria and then the Captain) and two disgusted looks (from Friedrich and Kurt, both sadly directed at him) Maria and the Captain were in the car on the way into the city.

The road was now familiar to Maria, yet she kept her eyes fixated out the window. After her realization the night before, she did not know how to speak to the Captain anymore. She was certain the moment he looked her in the eye he would be able to see everything she was trying to desperately to hide.

The Captain saw that her cheeks were a little more red than usual and despite his best efforts the evening before her eyes were dark. The joyous woman he had been with the night before had slightly retreated again, and he had a hunch why.

"Don't be nervous Maria – everything is working out as God intended." The Captain assured her, reaching across the console to take her hand as he drove with his left.

Two steps forward one step back, but eventually they would get there.

Maria jumped slightly at the contact before allowing her small fingers to entwine with his. She had never realized the physicality between them – ever since that awful, dreadful night they had been holding hands or holding each other for comfort, and apparently now it was part of their normal interaction.

Maria thought about what he had said to her, and realized that his assessment of her feelings, at least that part, were straight on. How the Captain was able to see emotions that she did not know she had was beyond her comprehension.

"What if she's disappointed with me?" Maria asked, bringing her eyes to look over her left shoulder and towards the Captain. This had been something she had been worrying about for many weeks, and looking into the Captain's eyes, all worries she had about how they would interact were gone. He was still Georg, she was still Maria, and they were still able to talk about anything.

"Angry I can deal with- I dealt with anger for many years with my uncle. But disappointment? Nobody has ever cared that much to be disappointed in me, and to lose the first person who did…" Maria was becoming tired of her own worrying and felt bad burdening the Captain with her problems despite his insistence she tell him anything.

"She won't be disappointed in you, I promise. She will be proud that you had the humility to admit that the abbey life was wrong for you and the confidence to break away from what you know to find the life that you need to live."

"And if she isn't?"

"Then you will stand tall, thank her for the years you spent together, and return home to eight people who care about you unconditionally."

"I'm scared she's going to think that I was just using the abbey as a place to wait until something better came along. That my faith in God and my love for what the church represents was all a show to get a roof over my head and a meal on a plate."

The Captain nodded, understanding why Maria could be worrying about this.

"When you left, what reason did the Reverend Mother give for you choosing my family specifically?" the Captain asked on a hunch, remembering his phone call all those months ago.

Maria had to force herself to remember – at the time she had been so overwhelmed by the changes Max was bringing to her life and the confusion that accompanied this that she had barely heard a word the Reverend Mother had said beyond that she would be leaving.

"I don't really remember." Maria admitted.

The Captain had debated many times if he should tell the woman what the Reverend Mother said about her, but now the answer seemed quite clear.

"The day before I found you poking about in my ballroom," here Maria's face flushed as the Captain grinned at her, "I received a phone call from the wisest woman I believe I have ever spoken with. She was calling to inform me of the status of a letter I wrote her less than a week before outlining my request for a governess. After introducing herself she informed me that a woman would be coming to my home the next day. Now the Reverend Mother must have heard whispers about my past attempts to hire a governess, as she informed me straight away that the woman that would be showing up would be nothing like any of the other governesses I had hired. After those disasters, this was welcomed news, at least it was until she continued. She told me that this woman was one of her postulants who had been a part of the abbey for several years. I naturally assumed this meant that the woman would be older – which was why I was so surprised when I saw you in my ballroom the next day – and I asked why someone who had spent so many years dedicated to God would want to come and watch over seven children. The Reverend Mother answered that because of this woman's unwavering faith in the face of difficult circumstances, the Lord had given her a large capacity to love. She continued saying that though this woman did not know it yet, she was searching. 'Just like you are, Captain' the elderly voice said to me. I brushed that comment off quickly enough, but inquired what the woman was searching for, worried that she might want my money or something equally shallow. 'She is searching for God's path.' I was told. 'She has courage that will rival your own, as she has run time and time again into dead ends on this path, yet she keeps searching.' By this point the old woman's metaphors were becoming tiresome, so I quite plainly asked why she would come searching at my home for direction, but all the woman would tell me was 'the Lord will show you in His own good time my son'. She then made me promise I would not fire you for at least a week, and luckily for me I followed her advice!"

"You wanted to fire me?" Maria laughed, not finding this at all surprising.

"Maria, don't take this the wrong way, but you were nothing that I was looking for at the time – refusing my whistle, arriving late to dinner, lying to protect my children both when they had you sit on that pinecone and when Liesl had been out in the garden with that boy, and finally not only failing to follow strict instructions about bedtimes but appearing quite pleased with yourself the angrier I became!"

"It's a wonder I didn't end up sitting on the curbside in the thunderstorm" Maria agreed, laughing.

"But that wasn't really the point of my story…" the Captain continued carefully – it was vital that Maria understood what the Reverend Mother had been telling him that afternoon.

Maria nodded with slowly as she considered the Captain's words. For almost five straight minutes she was quiet, going over what the Reverent Mother said about her.

"I think she told me the same – to go to your place not as a postulant on an errand but as a governess, and to ask myself if I wanted to stay in the abbey out of pure devotion or out of fear…"

Before Maria could finish her thought the Captain had pulled up in front of the abbey and turned off the car.

"I'll be waiting here whenever you finish – there is no rush." He told her.

"Please come in with me." said Maria as she bit her lower lip but did not elaborate.

"Alright" the Captain agreed without question or pause as he opened his car door.

Together, though with a respectable distance between them, the two made their way to the gate, where Maria pulled the cord to ring the bell.

As if ringing the bell to the abbey instead of just entering or climbing over a wall wasn't strange enough, having the Captain beside her was an altogether different experience.

Moments later Sister Sophia opened the gate and whisked Maria into a large hug.

"Maria it is wonderful to see you again!" she laughed. "It has been far too quiet without you singing in the hallways and humming at dinner! Are you back to stay?"

Maria smiled at the only sister whose energy even came close to her own.

"I'm afraid I'm only here to speak with the Reverend Mother. And Sister Sophia, before I forget, I must apologize to you for smashing your window the day before I left – you glass pane became a casualty in my escape."

The Captain raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"Please think nothing of it – the Reverend Mother had it replaced and it is wonderful to be able to see into the garden without the little cracks or cloudiness."

"I am glad everything worked out then." She finally remembered the man standing on her right. "Oh I apologize for my rudeness. Captain, this is Sister Sophia, and Sophia this is Captain von Trapp – I have been the governess to his children since the beginning of the summer."

"It is a pleasure to meet you" Georg responded politely.

"And you as well. I will go tell the Reverend Mother you are here – I'm certain she will wish to speak to you." Sister Sophia was already moving away as she finished her sentence.

"She certainly has a great deal of energy." The Captain noted to Maria as the robed figure moved away.

"She needs it – she is the sister in charge of the orphanage. I'm surprise we caught her here – she must have been on her way out. Aside from eating and sleeping within these walls, she spends almost all her time with the children, teaching and playing with them."

"I'm surprised that wasn't a job you volunteered for," said the Captain.

"It is a large commitment, and one must have taken her orders already. It interferes with the postulant's lessons."

Sister Sophia was already making her way back towards them – the abbey was small and the Reverend Mother clearly wasn't very busy.

"She will see you right away." She announced, waggling her eyebrows towards the Captain when he was not looking.

Maria shook her head furiously as her cheeks heated up, and mouthed "friends" as she followed the man towards the Reverend Mother's office.

"Ave" the Reverend Mother called them into the room when Maria gently knocked on the wooden door.

"Maria, it is wonderful to see you again my child" the woman spoke in her usual measured tone as Maria knelt before her to kiss her hand.

"And you as well, Reverend Mother. I have missed you." Maria was very honest with the older woman she loved like a mother.

"It has been very quiet around here without you." The Reverend Mother commented lightly, and Maria scowled at the Captain as he snorted. "And you must be Captain von Trapp. It is nice to have a face to accompany the voice."

"Likewise. I have heard a great deal about you these past few months."

"So what brings the two of you over? Maria, I was not expecting your return for at least another week." The Reverend Mother gestured to two chairs in front of her desk as she took her own seat.

Maia was grateful for the seat, as her knees were knocking together so forcefully she was certain Sophia out in the courtyard would be able to hear them.

Once seated, she took a deep breath, and then let it out as her fingers played with the hem on her skirt. She tried again to speak, but to no success. In desperation she looked over at the Captain.

The Captain was surprised to see Maria in such a nervous state – he had seen her spitting angry, heart-wrenchingly sad, and filled with joy, but nervousness was not a quality he would have ever associated with the confident, outgoing woman.

"I have asked Ma-…Fraulein Maria" he quickly corrected himself "to remain as a governess to my children."

"For how long?" the Reverend Mother asked with a twinkle in her eyes. She watched with great curiosity as the Captain, obviously trying to hide his actions under the desk, gently enveloped both of Maria's hands in one of his own and moved them away from the fraying hem and placing them gently on her knee before returning his hand to his own lap. She noticed immediately no sparkle coming from Maria's left hand, which gave her pause. When Sister Sophia had announced that Maria and Captain von Trapp were asking to see her, she had been certain that they were here to inform her of good news, and the interaction she was seeing between the two of them supported this theory, but the evidence was to the contrary.

"Indefinitely" the Captain's answer was calm and assured, though the Reverend Mother smiled at Maria's flushed face. It was not often someone like Maria was flustered. At least she never had been while living at the abbey.

"I see" she nodded. "So am I to assume that you would like to leave the abbey for good, or will you be returning after this…indefinite…period?"

With a deep breath, Maria spoke.

"You were correct, Mother. About everything. The Lord's path for me…it does not end here…I am so terribly sorry."

The Reverend Mother let out the breath she had been holding. After years, the truth had finally been spoken.

"If you don't mind Captain, I would like to speak with Maria alone. Please return in three-quarters of an hour and I will be ready to speak with you."

"With me?" the Captain asked, but he was already being ushered out of the door, which closed behind him with a distinct click.

The Reverend Mother made her way back towards the desk, paused, and then sat in the chair where the Captain had been minutes before, beside Maria.

"It truly is good to see you, my child. I have prayed for you often these past few months. It brings me great joy to see you as happy as you appear right now."

"For the first time in my life, I feel as if I am where God intended me to be." Maria responded as honestly as possible.

"Oh?" the Reverend Mother commented. She had learned long ago patience was the best way to be given information.

"Oh Reverend Mother, so much has happened in the past few months, I don't know where to start!"

"Why don't you start from when you left the abbey?" the Reverend Mother suggested as she tried to hide her smile at the young woman's enthusiasm.

And so Maria began to talk. She told the Reverend Mother about her first impressions of the Captain, the time when the Captain was in Vienna, reuniting with Max, the Captain's changed demeanor, the trip to Vienna, her growing friendship with the Captain, Max's betrayal, her depression, and ended by explaining the Captain's help to write her final paper for her degree. Certain parts of the story – details about the depth of her relationship with both Max and the Captain – were left unsaid.

The Reverend Mother listened quietly even though questions and comments were on the tip of her tongue.

"My dear girl" she finally spoke when Maria finished her story "it would seem you have lived and learned more in the past few months than in all your years."

Maria nodded and spoke as she looked out the window to the beautiful view of the Alps. "I remember years ago when I came to you requesting to join the abbey. You told me 'Maria, you have to look for your life. The rainbow is a symbol of the covenant between God and all creatures on earth- follow this symbol of hope and the Lord will never lead you astray. Follow every path you know to reach it, climb any mountain that may stand in your way, ford through the streams that will try to pull you under. Only then will you find your dream.' "

The Reverend Mother was surprised at the accuracy with which Maria quoted her words. She remembered that day perfectly – she had been looking for a metaphor that the girl, for Maria could not yet be called a woman when she entered the abbey, could relate to.

"How do you remember my words so carefully, my child?" the Reverend Mother had to ask.

"They sounded like lyrics to a song" Maria admitted. "At the time I thought you were telling me that all the hard times in my past had led me to your door, but I now realize you were telling me to keep searching. How did you know?"

"The Lord speaks to everyone. Whether through song, laughter, or love we can all, even if only for a brief moment, find that divine spirit that assures us of our connection of each other and to a higher power. In these instances, if one can listen with an open heart and a pure soul the Lord will guide us. Throughout my seventy years I have simply learned to listen harder."

"Then why didn't you tell me at that point that I didn't belong here?" Maria asked.

"Because you didn't yet know it. You will never learn to listen if others will do it for you."

"Can you tell me if I am now on the right path, Reverend Mother?"

"Maria I am a servant to the Lord, not a fortune teller."

They both fell silent for a moment. The Reverent Mother decided it was time to bring up what Maria had been darting around throughout her entire story.

"My child, why did you come back today?"

"To let you know- "

"No, not why did you come, generally. Why today in specific. Why not next week when you were to return anyways? Why not immediately when you knew that you would never become a nun? Why now?"

Maria felt her stomach turn slightly, remembering her evening with the Captain, before responding.

"Because right now everything at the villa seems so surreal; it as if I am living somebody else's life. Oh Mother yesterday I spent the most incredible day with the children and the Captain, but I could hardly enjoy myself I felt so out of disjointed. I worry every day that I will wake up and it will all be gone."

"It?"

"The children, the Captain everything. I have been frightened, confused. I've never felt that way before. I knew that here I'd be away from it, I could come back to reality."

"Maria, our abbey is not to be used as an escape. What is it you wish to get away from?"

"Away from the feeling I get every time I walk through the doors of the villa."

"What feeling is that?"

"The feeling like I'm coming home. That the house is mine, the children are mine, he-" Maria trailed off, her breathing heavy. She felt like she had just been in an intense volleyball ralley with the Reverend Mother…and had lost. The ball had dropped.

"He? Are you in love with him?"

"I don't know!" Maria let out a breath of air that had been collecting in her chest. "I don't know! Last night I thought I was, I dreamt all night that he was in love with me. But in the morning I didn't want to believe it. There are times when we look at each other…Oh Mother I can hardly breathe."

"Have you let him see your feelings?"

"I don't know! That's what's been torturing me. Georg has done so much for me – to ask for his love would be wrong. I just couldn't stay and pretend anymore – I needed to find my roots here, remember who I am and my position in the villa."

The Reverend Mother leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms in her lap, noting how Maria had unconsciously shifted to the Captain's first name. Finally she had gotten the truth out of the young woman.

"And have you found it?"

"All I have found is more questions" Maria admitted. "Please help me."

"Maria I do not have the answer you seek. The only instruction I can give is to tell you this –you must live the life you were born to live, my daughter."

"But how do I know what that life is?"

"By simply living it."

Maria was silent, and the Reverend Mother could tell that she was dissatisfied with this solution, so she continued.

"Maria my advice to you is this – be open to experiences, confident in your abilities, recognizant of your worth and trusting in the Lord. And do not run from happiness – change is frightening, but can lead to great things."

The Reverend Mother could have continued, but a confident knock alerted them that the Captain had returned, and she stood and made her way to the door after squeezing Maria's hand.

"You won't tell…" Maria asked quietly before the door clicked open, and was relieved to see the older woman shake her head.

"A true military man, exactly on time" the nun noted as she ushered him into the room. "Maria, I am certain there are certain people you will wish to bid adieu to…"

"I am certain I'll be seeing you all again…" Maria chose not to follow the hint, hesitant to leave the room's other two occupants alone together.

"Yes, I am quite certain we'll be seeing the two of you in the near future, but why take chances?"

"I won't be long – I am certain Sister Berthe's celebration of my departure will attract quite a crowd and reduce my time searching for everybody.

"Ten minutes will be plenty" the Revered Mother allowed.

Maria obeyed, and with a small smile directed at the Captain she closed the door behind her.

Left alone, the Captain remained standing until the woman was comfortably seated, and only took his own seat when offered.

"Captain, as we have little time I will be brief. I don't know how much Maria has told you about her past-"

"She has told me everything." The Captain hated to interrupt, but it appeared that time was of the essence.

"I do not mean to be rude, but are you quite certain?"

"Completely. She has told me about her memories of her parents from before their death, about growing up with a physically and mentally abusive drunkard uncle, about sneaking away to learn music and later to take a university-level course by correspondence with special permissions while still in high school, about losing that dream and finally joining the abbey."

"Forgive me, Captain – it would appear that she has perhaps told you even more than me. Knowing her past, you must appreciate my concern for the woman when I ask you to make me a promise."

"Promise what?"

"I need you to promise me that you will do everything in your power not to hurt her. I fear that if the trust the two of you have formed were to be broken, Maria would never fully recover."

"Maria is the strongest woman I have ever met." The Captain recognized the Reverend Mother had seen deep enough into their relationship that the formalities of 'fraulein' were not fooling her.

"I told you right from the start she would be like no governess you had ever had. And I do not contest the strength of her spirit despite her reaction to the unfortunate incident with Herr Detweiller. But Captain with her leaving the abbey, you and your children will be her only support system until she is able to make her own friends.

"I both understand and appreciate your concern, Reverend Mother. I assure you that Maria's welfare is on the forefront of my mind, and that I will do everything within my power to protect her."

"What you are doing for her – allowing her to complete her education, giving her a place to stay and a sense of purpose- let me simply say that your kindness could not have fallen on a more needing person, Captain."

"Nor a more grateful or well-deserving." The Captain agreed. "She has given me back my children, my purpose, and my life. Providing an environment in which she can build her own life is the least I can do."

"If I may enquire Captain, it was my understanding you required a governess only until the end of summer as at this point you intended to give the children instead a mother?"

The Reverend Mother had heard plenty of rumours around town, but needed to hear the correct version from the 'horse's mouth'. Knowing Maria's feelings for the man, she had to know that her heart would be safe in this environment before she could let the young woman go with a blessing.

"What precisely did Maria tell you about the 'unfortunate incident with Herr Detweiller'?"

"Simply that she found he had been cheating on her with another woman, after which the two of them left the city."

The Captain probably should have been shocked that Maria had chosen to exclude Elsa from her rendition of the story to the woman she loved like a mother, but he knew she had been protecting him by not confirming the circulating rumours, and for this protection he was not surprised.

"Reverend Mother, Max cheated on Maria with the woman I was anticipating marrying."

"Captain, I apologize, I had no idea."

"It is not information I would like circulating about town."

"I assure you of my utmost discretion."

"I have no worries" the Captain smiled kindly at the woman.

"Tell me Captain, how do your children and Maria get along?" The Reverend Mother was fishing – that was obvious to both parties- but what she was looking for the Captain was uncertain.

"Maria has become a mother figure for the younger children, and a good friend to the older. She is the prefect embodiment of the seven Cs"

"Seven Cs?"

The Captain laughed before explaining. "My father was in the navy and died when I was young, but my mother used to tell me about him. According to her, he used to tell me almost every night 'Georg, if you someday wish to sail the seven seas, there are seven characteristics, or seven Cs, that you must have: cleverness, conscientiousness, confidence, cooperation, calmness, consistency, and creativity. If you have these traits, my boy, you will one day be a sea captain.'"

"Obviously he was correct." The Reverend Mother noted, curious to see if he would turn the conversation back to Maria.

"Calm, confident and consistency I mastered quickly. The other traits took time to develop, but I never mastered them like Maria has. When I came back from Vienna near the beginning of the summer she had organized this field trip for the children, encompassing all the lessons the children had been learning. The way she amalgamated difficult subject matter into fun activities that ages five to sixteen, five to forty-two really!, could enjoy was both creative and clever. During this time I was struggling with finding inner-forgiveness for having abandoned my children for five years, and Maria was consistently at my side, assuring me that I could win back their love and coaching my past my self-loathing. I watched as she and the children later planned a puppet show for myself, Elsa, and Max and marveled at the cooperation she fostered in the children, having them work together to move the puppets in particular ways. Then just yesterday the children managed to cover her in flour and raw egg as they tried to bake apfelstrudle, yet she remained calm and laughed it off. As anyone who has ever met her knows, she is filled with a confidence that radiates off her like sunlight."

The Captain paused for a breath, and only then did he notice the wide smile on the nun's face.

"That tells me everything I need to know. I'm certain by now Maria is waiting outside the door wondering if you will walk out of here alive or if she will have to carry you out on a stretcher, so let me offer you three pieces of advice about Maria and you can be on your way. Quite simply put, she will never hurt you – she couldn't bear it. Second, she may appear filled with confidence, but there is a part of her that will always feel as if she does not deserve certain joys. And finally, she frightens easily, but do not let her run from what you know is right."

The Captain nodded slowly at the strange advice. "Thank you, Reverend Mother, for being so good to her for all these years. She was lucky the day she walked through your gates."

"As was she the day she walked through yours. Maria, please join us." The Reverend Mother raised her voice at the end, and as she had predicted the young blonde had been waiting at the door.

Like magnetism, Maria drifted close to the Captain's side, and the Reverend Mother immediately began adjusting the timeline she had been projecting.

Once thank yous and goodbyes were said, the two made their way back to the Captain's car in silence, both their minds full of the words of wisdom they had received.

"Would you like to go for lunch now?" the Captain asked once they were both settled in the front seats.

"My stomach feels a little unwell" Maria admitted.

"I believe that" said the Captain. He felt a little queasy himself. "How would you feel about a cup of tea instead?"

"That sounds perfect" said Maria.

"Should we perhaps get the tea to go?" she asked as the Captain drove through the quiet streets. "The children may be wondering where we are – it's already past eleven o'clock."

"I asked Frau Schmidt to keep an eye out for them and that we'd be home by noon. And fair warning – if we rush home, we'll be forced to eat lunch with them, and I have it on Kurt's good authority that the cook has agreed to make those terrible noodles with the processed cheese at their request."

Maria scrunched up her nose. "Perhaps we'll drink our tea here after all." She laughed.


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N: Salut, je suis de retour! I'm sure there are some that may not like this chapter that much, but with two such strong personalities like Maria and Georg's, both at the edge of their wit with confusion about their feelings after such an intense meeting with the Reverend Mother, I felt that something like this was inevitable. Also, I wanted to make their relationship a bit less of a fairytale - in life there will always be things two people don't agree on...working through it is what makes them stronger. Enjoy mes amis!**

_Chapter Forty-Nine_

The Captain turned off of the main route and began to drive through a residential area before he pulled up at a modestly size grey-coloured home with a small "We are Open" sign in the window.

"This is one of Salzubrg's hidden secrets" the Captain explained in response to Maria's confused look. "Their tea is made from hand-picked herbs and spices, with real pieces of fruit."

They walked up the driveway lined on either side with red geraniums and white sonata petunias and knocked on the white door.

"Georg von Trapp!" Maria was surprised by the heartfelt greeting, so filled with delight and surprise, coming from the small, thin man in the open doorway. He was the Captain's opposite in every way – blonde, slight, and with a touch of a moustache, but the smile on his face matched that on the man beside her.

"Francois mon ami, bonjour!"

"Je suis tellement content de te voir; ça fait longtemps. J'ai entendu les nouvelles de ta femme – toutes mes condoléances. Je voulais te téléphoner après, mais … de tout façon, comment ça va mon ami?"

"Ca va beaucoup mieux maintenant – les cinq ans passés étaient vraiment difficiles, mais je crois que j'ai trouvé de la paix. Je t'ai vu à l'enterrement– merci d'avoir venu – et je m'excuse que je n'avais pas pu te parler. "

"Pas de tout – t'avais assez d'autres choses à t'occuper ce jour là."

"Et Giselle et les enfants? "

"Elles visitent la France cette semaine. Elles voulaient voir leurs cousins avant de recommencer l'école. Mais nous sommes impoli Georg; qui est cette belle femme?"

Francois gestured to Maria, who had been trying to follow their confusing conversation. From what she had gathered, this man and Georg must be old friends, but it sounded like they had not seen each other since before Agathe's death. For what seemed like the thousandth time, Maria's heart hurt for the Captain, who had lived in essentially complete isolation for the past half a decade.

"I apologize. Maria, this is my good friend François. François, je vous présent mon ami Maria." The Captain finally recognized that Maria was standing silently beside him.

Though she wasn't fluent, Maria understood enough French to be surprised when the Captain introduced her as his friend rather than his children's governess. Almost as surprised as she had been when this François had called the Captain by his first name. The list of people allowed to call him Georg now increased to four including herself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you mademoiselle – any friend of Georg is welcome."

"Et vous aussi, François. Vos fleurs dehors sont vraiment belles."

"You speak French?" the Captain asked at the same time as François exclaimed "Ah! Elle parle français aussi!"

"Seulement un petit peu." she laughed, then added "That's about the extent of it."

"What are we doing? Please come in and sit! I put hot water on for tea, Georg?"

"That sounds wonderful François, merci beaucoup" the Captain inclined his head as he walked through the front foyer.

Maria was taken by how beautiful the room was. They had removed nearly all the walls of one area, creating a large space with five small oak tables strategically placed. On each table was a small vase of daisies that complimented the light blue walls lined with large windows that offered an unobstructed view of the backyard that had been tended to by a well-experienced gardener. Simple and beautiful.

Following the Captain's lead, Maria sat across from him at one of the tables set for two. Within minutes François placed large steaming mugs in front of both of them. The aroma of berries and spices rose from the deep red liquid.

"What kind of tea is this, François? It smells fantastic." Maria asked as she brought the mug closer to her nose for a sniff.

"It is de house special" François responded in his thick French accent. "Old family blend."

"Would you please join us?" Maria asked the man who had remained standing.

"Oh I don't vant to interrupt."

"No, not at all. I'm sure you and…Georg…have a lot of catching up to do." Maria hesitated to use his first name, after all, it wasn't just the two of them, but from the discrete nod of approval she knew she had done the right thing.

The Captain watched as his oldest (now that Max could no longer fall in that category) and his newest friend chatted amicably. He had not expected Maria to invite François to join them, and had been planning on telling the man he would come by again so they could catch up.

François was looking at the Captain for his approval to join them. It was clear François thought they were there on a date, and did not want to intrude.

"Please join us; we have much to catch up on. It has been far too long. There were so many times I picked up the phone to call you, but I didn't know what to say and the longer I put it off, the harder it became."

"You are here now, and dis is all dat counts. But mon ami we can catch up later if you'd like…"

"Not at all, we'd love your company. But only if you promise not to tell Maria any stories about Australia."

"Oh you were in the navy together!"

The Captain was surprised Maria remembered the story he had told her – it was so long ago, and she hadn't been in the best state of health at the time!"

"You probably wonder why a French man was in the Austrian navy, especially during the Great War when our two great nations were enemies, n'est pas?"

François took a seat at the table and spoke directly to Maria, completely ignoring his old friend, much to the Captain's amusement. "Let me tell you. I was born raised in Avignon. When I was sixteen I fell in love with an Austrian girl who had come to my Fader's restaurant while on vacation with her family. I followed her back to Innsbruck against de wishes of my parents, but when I got dere I found that she was promised to another man. I was too proud to go home, but had no money. One day while walking de streets I see a sign dat said de navy is recruiting for all de positions, including cooks. No formal training required de sign says, so I went into de office and signed up to work aboard a ship leaving in two weeks for Australia. A training mission they tell me – doesn't matter dat I don't speak German well, I won't need to talk. So I say 'why not' and two weeks later I meet de 'trainee' dey called him- Georg here. I paid no attention – I was there to cook. So we set off. By day two I realized I had made terrible mistake – I am so seasick I feel as if my insides are on de outside. And dese men, dey yell at me in German because der is no supper, but I do know what dey are saying! So dat night I am sitting on de deck hoping de cool air will settle my stomach and den a man with a flashlight comes on deck and I am sure he is going to be mad at me, but den I see it is Georg who always had a smile for me since we left. And den I learn Georg here, il parle français aussi! We spent the entire night talking – I was so relieved to have somebody to speak to dat I start to feel better. He promises to teach me German tells me to chew ginger root to cure my sea sickness. So every night for weeks after the crew is in bed we met on de deck – I learned German from reading dese books he had about de Australian Outback. I try to tell Georg dere are cities like Vienna in Australia but he tells me 'it is wild country, François' so I say 'okay, you are de sailor'."

"And because François here was the cook, he had access to all the cooking wine we could drink!" the Captain chimed in.

"What happened when you got to Australia?" Maria was utterly engrossed in the story.

"I find dey don't speak French or German! I now suddenly need to learn English!" François exclaimed, and all three of them started to laugh. "In Australia de navy give all members of crew two weeks off before returning to Austria because de Captain training Georg here had to go visit his sick mom in Perth."

"And I'm sure you and Georg here spent the time studying the arts of cooking and ship-handling diligently like the Captain would have expected?" Maria asked with a wide smile.

"Naturally" the Captain laughed at the memories that were coming back.

"No no no no no! My dear do not listen to a word he tells you! Even de first night-"

"François, I thought we made a pact that what happens in Australia stays in Australia?"

"Georg do not be de sad sap."

"François, I said no."

"Oh Georg please? I would love to hear about your time in Australia" Maria pleaded.

"Maria…" the Captain's voice was becoming angry.

"Please?" she begged eager to hear stories about him when he was young.

"I said no, Maria. There are certain things I do not want to share with you, and I would appreciate it if you would respect my wishes." The Captain responded in a cold tone.

"There is no need to be rude, _Captain_. I didn't realize your life was suddenly so private." Maria spat back in frustration. She didn't really care if the Captain had part of his life he didn't want to share with her, but he didn't have to be so damned rude about it!

"What I may have done in my younger days is absolutely none of your concern, _Fraulein. _I don't see you going on about the stupid things you did in the pursuit of boys when you were younger."

Clearly whatever they had been up to had involved a few Australian girls…

"I had no time to chase after boys, _Captain_, I was too busy with useful activities"

"Yes because interacting with others and acting, oh I don't know, _human_ is such a waste of time."

"Oh I'm sure you learned a great deal chasing after the sheilas down under. Tell me Captain, in all your wisdom, what percentage of females down there enjoy surfer-boys versus army-boys? I'm sure this will be vital information someday."

"And you were solving the problems for world hunger I'm sure."

"No, I was only taking my senior classes in addition to the university credits I would need to receive a teaching degree. Very comparable to surfing all day and partying all night I'm sure."

"You have absolutely no idea what we were doing while in Australia. And regardless, not all of us are saints and join the convent right out of high school. But then again some of us have the guts to face our problems rather than hide from them."

Maria was seeing red. All of the pent up emotions she had been harbouring for the Captain for many weeks (albeit she only had labeled the night before) had culminated and reached a boiling point and their only outlet was through anger. On some level she knew this argument was ridiculous and completely out of thin air, but it was as if she was trying to prove to herself he was not as perfect as her mind made him out to be, as if his anger would make him more real.

The emotions of both were running high, especially after everything the Reverend Mother had said, and anger seemed to be a safe outlet. Neither of them had noticed that François had left the room.

"Some of us didn't have any choice, _Captain. _You have never had to hide between physical walls because you have social power and wealth to turn to. You have no idea what it means to have absolutely nothing – no family, no friends, no money, no future. Not everyone is born with a golden horseshoe rammed up their ass."

If the Captain was surprised by Maria's harsh language, it was completely occluded by the overwhelming feeling that he was ready to burst apart. For weeks now he had felt something building inside of him, like a tumour growing in his chest. On a purely rational level he knew that what they were fighting over – a story about his past – was stupid at best. On an emotional level, however, they both were desperate for a release of any kind.

"Oh that's right Maria, I forgot how truly fortunate I have been. Losing my father and then my brother to war, losing the woman I thought was my soul-mate, losing both my best-friend and my future fiancé because of infidelity…with each other. My life has been a regular walk in the park on a sunny afternoon. You were only a child when your parents died – you have no idea what it is like to lose somebody that you love."

"Might I remind you Georg that this 'best-friend' of yours? He was my first real 'boyfriend'. I went behind the Reverend Mother's back to be with him. I risked my future in the abbey for him. He was the first man I ever allowed to kiss me, and was the first man I ever kissed. The first man I ever thought I could love…"

"Did you love him?" the Captain's tone was still rough, but his expression was softened, and he moved his chair so he was facing Maria directly without the table between them.

"I-I thought I did" Maria stammered, trying to calm her heart that was still racing from their fight. "Even after everything that happened, I still thought I had loved him for a couple weeks."

"What made you change your mind?"

Maria was silent – how could she tell the Captain that she only realized that the feelings she had felt for Max could not have possibly been those of love, because she had finally realized what true love feels like. Because she felt it for him.

"Speaking with the Reverend Mother" Maria finally answered with part of, albeit not the full, truth.

"She told you that you hadn't been in love with Max?' The Captain asked with confusion. It had seemed to him like the Reverend Mother wasn't the type to tell you something but instead to make you figure it out on your own.

"She brought me to the point where I was able to indirectly admit it outloud."

"How did she do that?"

"Captain, there are certain things I may not want to wish with you either" Maria raised a single eyebrow and stared directly at the man.

The Captain sighed at took both Maria's hands in his own.

"I overreacted, I apologize." He almost whispered. Inside, he was kicking himself. After everything that the Reverend Mother had spoken to him about, here not even an hour later, he was already hurting here.

"I'm sorry for pushing when I.." Maria answered in an equally quiet tone.

François suddenly re-entered the room with a cautious look on his face startling Maria and the Captain, who had forgotten his presence, or lack thereof!

"I grew worried when it suddenly went quiet, and went to find a shovel to bury de dead body." He said. "I did not think mademoiselle Maria would be able to dig a deep enough hole."

"François we both owe you an apology – that was completely rude and out of place" said Maria to the man.

"Yes my dear friend, what you must think of me, showing up here after five years and then acting like this. There is no excuse, and I am deeply ashamed."

"Nonsense." François shook his head. "Dis is what makes us humans – we hate and we love, we fight and we reconcile. Dese dings, dey make us human. Now while you both were, occupied, I made quiche au gruyère. You eat now, yes?"

"You are too good to me" the Captain said as he inclined his head, sending the man back towards the kitchen only to re-appear a moment later with two plates.

"François, I must ask – what is quiche?" Maria asked as she tried to get a glimpse of the plate.

"Oh mon Dieu! Georg – I am ashamed of you!"

"Quiche is basically an omelet on a pastry crust." The Captain explained, his eyes not meeting Maria's eyes. "When we arrived I asked François to make you quiche because I was worried that you might not be getting enough protein in your diet, eating the same meal as the children and myself but without the meat. I only thought of it last night, when all you ate were vegetables and potatoes. I spoke with cook this morning, and he agreed to make you a bean or egg dish at least once a day from now on, but nobody makes quiche like François."

Maria had been trying to catch the Captain's eye as he spoke to no avail such that she had not noticed that the French man had again disappeared into the kitchen.

"Captain…Georg…I am very touched." She said, and then after a paused added "Please Georg, look at me."

The Captain was slow to oblige.

"Thank you" she stated plainly.

"I should have thought of it sooner" the Captain spoke bluntly, his gaze downcast again.

"I am so sorry for prying where I had no business, and for everything I said. It seems like when I have something on my mind, I can't seem to stop saying things. Everything and anything I think and feel."

"Some would call that honesty." The Captain responded with a slight smile – she knew herself almost scary-well.

"Captain, perhaps you spent too much time with the Reverend Mother this morning – that sounds like something she would say." Maria smiled back and him.

And just like that, things were as they had been before.

They continued their meal in pleasant conversation with the chef, and thanked François profusely as they left, making him promise that he would come over to the villa for a visit as soon as Giselle and the girls were home from France.

* * *

And so the week progressed in a comfortable quietness. The environment was strange to Maria, who had grown accustomed to the constant state of excitement and/or conflict that had occupied the majority of her time at the villa. Naturally the children had their squabbles about what activities to do, problems with their lessons, or he-said/she-said arguments, but generally the house was quiet. School loomed in the near future and the Captain was occupied with the work did by correspondence for the navy, primarily research-based, that he had been neglecting all summer. The entire family, for indeed they were a family unit, however unconventional, soon fell into a daily pattern, and a feeling of normalcy spread throughout the household, affecting even the help.

This would only last until the end of the week, when Brigitta would reach for the fifth book on her English syllabus, open it to Act I Scene I, and read the first seven lines. Two hours later, at the completion of the play, she wound send four notes of a single line: Meet midnight tonight—it's time.


	50. Chapter 50

**A/N: This is more of an interlude introducing the children's "Plan C" than a true chapter. It is impossible to have a literature-theme story without highlighting the incredible playwright Shakespeare. And ****_Twelfth Night _****is one of my all-time favourites. **

_Chapter Fifty_

"If music be the food of love, play on;

Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,  
The appetite may sicken, and so die.  
That strain again! it had a dying fall:  
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound  
That breathes upon a bank of violets,  
Stealing and giving odour!"

The night was dark – just a sliver of a moon provided enough light for Brigitta to make out some of the words. Luckily she had re-read the entire play several times that day, and knew this quote especially by heart.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

"Those were…words." Friedrich looked confused.

"There may have even been a few in English" Kurt agreed.

"I caught something about love being sickening and stinky flowers?" Louisa snickered.

"_Twelfth Night_?" asked Liesl, rolling her eyes at her siblings. "You pulled us out of bed to read Shakespeare to us?"

"Come on you three!" Brigitta sighed, looking at her older siblings. "You must have taken this play in school!"

"Of course we did, Brig, so what?" Friedrich asked. He had never particularly taken to English, much preferring mathematics given a choice.

"Then you must know the story…" Brigitta was getting angry that her siblings couldn't see what she did. She had been certain as soon as she read the first lines they would see the similarities, but clearly that thought had been wrong.

"It was a long time ago, Brig" Liesl admitted.

"I think I was sick that day…or week" Friedrich grimaced.

"I think it made me sick…and then I repressed the memory" Louisa agreed.

"I don't need an excuse yet, though I'm sure when the time comes I'll think of something" Kurt chimed in.

"Viola is in a shipwreck and ends up in Illyria, she dresses like a man and calls herself Cesario so she can work for the Duke Orsino who asks her to help him get Olivia to fall in love with him. In the process Viola falls for the Duke, but cannot tell him because she's dressed like a man; however, Olivia ends up falling for Cesario. Then there's a whole bunch about a singing clown until finally Olivia sees someone who looks just like Cesario and marries him – turn out it is Sebastian, Viola's twin who had survived the shipwreck. Viola is relieved to see her brother again but in the process reveals her true self. The Duke, upon recognizing Cesario is in fact Viola (and thus female) falls in love with her, and they're married. And then that clown sings again…" Liesl summarized if nothing else than to prevent a lecture from an exasperated-appearing Brigitta.

"Close enough" Brigittta admitted.

"So your big plan is to bring in a singing clown?" Lousia was chuckling.

"Well we've already got Friedrich…" Kurt commented, earning him a high-five from his blonde sister.

"Brig, correct me if I'm wrong, but that quote you read to us that we were supposed to get something out of? Isn't that when the Duke is trying to get over Olivia, saying 'music fuels love so overload me to the point I can't stand it anymore and I'll fall out of love?' Because I think we're trying to go in a different direction with Father and fraulein Maria…" Friedrich said.

"You three, stop being stupid" Liesl glared at her siblings. "I think I might be following you on this one, Brig."

Liesl looked at Brigitta, who urged her to continue.

"Well don't you guys see the similarities?"

"Between Friedrich and a singing clown? Perfectly." Louisa chortled.

"Why is it that the two of you always seem to be the only two that know what's going on?" Friedrich sighed.

Liesl chose to ignore their comments.

"When fraulein Maria came to us, she was a governess, a postulant…not somebody Father could or would ever consider romantically. And then after the Baroness and Max…" Liesl paused, knowing her siblings were not told all the details about what had happened "…left, Father and fraulein Maria became friends, but because neither wanted a relationship right away after, they probably look at each other like buddies. Like Duke Orsino doesn't see past the 'Cesario' front that Viola is portraying, maybe father and fraulein Maria cannot see past the 'friendship' front."

Friedrich, Kurt, and Louisa were looking at her as if she had suddenly grown a second head.

"Basically, we need to make Father see that fraulein Maria is a beautiful, smart, perfect woman who he could ask out on a date." Brigitta interpreted. "Father sees her as a friend…we need to make him see her as something more than that."

"Basically we need him to have that moment when he realizes she's the one he's been looking for'" Louisa nodded, surprising everybody in the room.

"Exactly Louie," Liesl approved.

"But we already tried old stories..the guy that had fruit thrown at him and the dancing teapot...and they failed epically. Why would Shakespeare be able to give any advice about nowadays? He lived hundreds of years ago" Kurt complained

"Don't you remember that evening about a week after father came home when we were reading the story of David and Goliath with fraulein Maria? She said that Shakespeare's messages were eternal, like she was telling us where to look for a guide. The reason Shakespeare is still as popular now as ever is because he wrote about human issues – problems people face no matter what time period they live in." Brigitta challenged.

"Brigitta, you sound just like Frau Kwasnich" Liesl laughed, referring to the English teacher at the high school.

"It's true! After I finished _Twelfth Night_ today and realized we hadn't looked at the Bard for inspiration, I skimmed through some other plays. You wouldn't believe the number of quotes I found that could be important in guiding out plans for tomorrow.

"Well we've tried stories from mythology and fairytales, why not a play?" Friedrich sighed. "At least we're getting slightly more recent. But how do you suggest we 'open Father's eyes' so to speak?"

"That's where that quote you didn't understand comes in, Friedrich. Music is the 'food of love' – look at so many Shakespearean plays. Romeo and Juliet meet at a ball. Lorenzo tells Julia that a man with no music in him is fit for treason…"

"So what?" Kurt cut her off, recognizing if someone didn't stop her they could be there all night .

"Music, Kurt. Music" Louisa echoed the one part of the conversation she had paid enough attention to that she could partially understand.

"And that's just what started me thinking. Shakespeare's plays, particularly the comedies, are full of different suggestions on how two people can fall in love!" Brigitta smiled.

"Yes, yes we heard all about the quotes."

"So the Bard is giving us a little guidance for tomorrow…we just have to put all the pieces together." Brigitta grinned, pulling out a plethora of small pieces of paper covered in writing and scattered them across the bed. "Now what can we do with these?"


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N: I felt bad only posting a wee little chapter so I figured I might as well put up the first part of "Plan C - Play". The (numerous) quotes throughout, as Brigitta warned would be, are from a variety of Shakespearean plays (as indicated - I own nothing. I can only wish). Obviously I'm a bit of a fan :D **

Chapter Fifty-One

_Full many a glorious morning have I seen_

_Flatter the mountain tops with soverign eye,_

_Kissing with golden face the meadows green,_

_Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy. _

(Sonnet 33)

A feeling of overwhelming warmth roused Maria from her slumber before her alarm had a chance to go off.

"Seven thirty in the morning and already unbearably hot" she smiled to herself as she kicked off all the bedcovers except a single white sheet. With still a half an hour before she had planned on waking the children, Maria lay back on her pillows and relished the sensation of the warm sun on her face.

The room was suddenly too small, the air too still. From her window the world was alight and beautiful, and as she had confessed to the Reverend Mother so many months ago, she longed to be a part of it.

She knew it was early and that the rest of the house would be asleep, so she simply slipped on a dressing gown before opening her door (cringing at the noise made by the locking mechanism) and tiptoed down the stairs and out onto the patio.

The sun was just above the mountains, and the fiery colours of the sunrise were beginning to fade into the promise of a clear blue sky as she moved so sit on the railing of the balcony where just weeks ago she had fallen off of in sheer depression. These sentiments could not have been further from her mind as she enjoyed the moments of peace.

_"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;_

_And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind" _

_(Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I Scene I)_

The feeling of a hand on her shoulder should have made Maria jump, but her body recognized the feeling immediately and instead she turned quite calmly and with a smile, greeted the Captain who was offering her a cup of tea.

"Georg, I didn't realize you were awake at this early hour" she said, accepting the warm beverage while patting the railing beside her in invitation.

The Captain chose instead to lean against the railing such that they were facing opposite ways, but because of their close proximity could see each other's faces. Maria was suddenly conscious that she was only wearing a nightgown and robe, her face unwashed and her hair in disarray. She tried to subtly tame some of the wild strands that were catching in the breeze and blowing into her face, while tightening the sash on her robe. It was for naught, however, as Maria soon realized the Captain had taken no notice of the state of her appearance.

"I was making myself coffee in the kitchen when I heard somebody on the stairs. It's Tuesday, so I knew that Frau Schmidt, cook, and Franz were all at the market."

"Why were you up so early?"

"Less 'up too early' as 'up so late' I'm afraid." He had the sense to look guilty as Maria stared at him with a shocked face.

"You haven't been to bed yet?" Maria asked, reaching to take away his coffee cup.

"At the beginning of the summer the English navy sent me a telegram asking me personally to create a training manual of sorts for their new recruits. I agreed to create such a document, thinking that it would be a quiet summer with this new governess controlling the children…"

Maria laughed. "I assume this was before we met?" Her hair and attire was long forgotten.

"Most certainly – from the moment you blew that whistle at me I knew that those dreams were shattered." The Captain was grinning when he continued. "Anyways, I had promised them I would have a first draft in their hands by the beginning of September. It is a huge honor to have been asked, especially by such a prominent navy."

"How is it coming?" Maria asked, taking a sip of her tea, and smiling as she found the Captain had remembered the two sugar cubes- exactly how she liked it.

"I finished it oh…a half hour ago." The Captain's delight was apparent.

"May I read it?" Maria asked, certain she wouldn't understand a word on the page, but wanting to read it nonetheless.

"Did you allow me to read your paper before you submitted it?" he laughed, leaning in to bump her in the arm with his shoulder.

"Alright, point taken." She laughed with him. "Congratulations on finishing though – when did you have time to work on it?"

"Mostly in the evenings after everyone was in bed" he admitted. "It is far from being perfect, I know, but with a few revisions once I start working with the officials and getting an idea what they want I hope that it will be valuable to at least one captain-in-training!"

"You must be exhausted – why don't you go get some sleep, and I'll have the children complete their lessons this morning outside?" Maria offered. "It will be much quieter in the house."

The Captain considered her suggestion, then responded "That sounds perfect."

"Sleep well, Georg" said Maria – she hoped that he wouldn't notice how many times in a conversation she used his name. She knew it was far more than necessary, but the warmth that formed in her chest every time she said it was like a drug, and the words were no sooner past her tongue she was already searching for her next hit.

The Captain raised his hand and gently moved a piece of Maria's hair that had yet to be calmed with a hairbrush, away from her eyes. It paused mid-action to slightly cup her cheek before resting on her shoulder.

"I will" he responded quietly, slightly squeezing her shoulder before he turned and returned into the house.

Maria's head was spinning, and for the second time in her life, she fell off the banister.

_And by that destiny to perform an act_

_Whereof what's past is prologue; what to come,_

_In yours and my discharge._

_(The Tempest, Act II Scene I)_

Maria rubbed the paired bruises that were beginning to form on her elbows as she listened to the stairs creek underneath her feet. She was so preoccupied in her examination of her arms for other visible signs of her clumsiness that she nearly ran straight into Liesl and Brigitta who were standing in the doorway to her room.

"Oh, children! Good morning – I was just going to dress and come and wake you."

Liesl raised one eyebrow at her governess, and Maria suddenly regretted teaching her that 'trick'.

"And where were you in your nightwear?" Liesl asked suspiciously.

"Just down in the kitchen having some tea." Maria responded smoothly, holding up her half-filled mug as proof. "What has you all up on your own this morning? Usually it takes the threat of cold water to get you all to move!"

"Last night I had a dream about Mother – well more of a memory really. I remembered how she, Liesl, Louisa and I used to have 'girl mornings'. We'd get dressed up in fancy clothes and paint our nails and talk about…well girl things."

"That sounds like a lovely memory" Maria agreed, trying to conceal the smallest hint of jealousy that had sprung up.

"Fraulein Maria, could we have a girl's morning? Gretl and Marta were only babies when Mother died, and I thought…well I thought maybe they could make memories like that with you?" Brigitta voice trailed upwards in a question as she looked at her governess expectantly.

Maria didn't have to think twice.

"Absolutely. You name the morning, and I'll make sure that you father agrees to give you a day off your lessons." She agreed firmly. She had no intention of trying to replace Agathe, but didn't want Marta or Gretl to miss out on what seemed to be a family tradition.

"What about today? This morning" Liesl asked, crossing her fingers behind her back.

"I'm afraid your father just went to bed – he was up all night working. I promised him we'd all go and work outside so he could get some sleep…"

"We could go into the guest wing!" Liesl suggested. "It's completely on the other side of the house, and has its own door leading outside! There's a large bedroom and bathroom where we could have our girls' morning, and the boys could play right outside the window so you could keep an eye on them."

No deliberation was required, as Maria agreed. "Let's go wake the others. I'll help the young ones get dressed while you dress, then while I'm getting ready you can pack up everything we need?"

With two nods, everyone was off in their own direction.

Maria's heart melted when she told Marta and Gretl of the day's plans and they catapulted themselves into her arms in a large, squirmy bundle of laughter and kisses.

Soon the children were all gathered on top of the stairs, perfectly quiet as Maria had instructed, each carrying bags or boxes filled with…well Maria didn't really know what exactly.

Just as Liesl had described, the guest wing was the perfect location for the morning's activities, and soon Friedrich and Kurt were tossing a football back and forth. Maria had been surprised when Louisa had chosen for the 'girly' activities, but was pleased to have all the girls together in one room.

"Alright Liesl, Brigitta – what's on the agenda for this morning?" Maria asked.

She instantly regretted her question as the five girls began unpacking the boxes and bags, lining up their contents on the shelves. Bottles of nail polish in every colour, hairbrushes and combs, hairpins and bands, a curling iron, and more makeup than Maria had seen in a lifetime as well as stacks and stacks of clothing.

"Where did you find all this?" Maria gasped, remembering months ago when Liesl claimed to have only an eyeliner pencil…or was it a tube of mascara?

"Here and there." Brigitta laughed, but quickly changed her answer at Maria's insistent stare. "Mother had a 'secrete hiding spot' for all this stuff – she didn't want us playing with her expensive makeup so bought all this for us to use on these mornings instead."

Liesl put two hands up in the air. "Trust me fraulein, I had no idea this still existed. I thought Father had thrown everything out years ago."

"You can't throw out what you can't find!" Brigitta laughed as she began to unscrew a bottle of bright pink nail polish. "Now Miss Marta, fingers or toes pink?"

"Both!" Marta was nearly bouncing with excitement. She had never been allowed to even play with makeup, and the thought of having pretty pink nails was close to the most exciting thing that had happened to her all month."

Maria laughed as Gretl picked a bright green shade of polish for her own fingernails, and Maria quickly got to work painting them.

They paired off, and as they worked conversations about everything from cute boys at school to the latest fashions to the new picture playing at the cinema filled the air.

Maria had tears in her eyes as she finished the last little nail. She had never felt so much like a part of a family as she did in that moment. Visions of her mother were all she could see for a moment, as an entirely different life flashed before her eyes – a life where she had grown up having morning chats about cute boys, hair in ringlets like the rest of the girls at school because she too had a mother to curl it for her, and little pink outfits to wear because her mother could sew as well as the other moms.

"Don't cry, fraulein Maria. Brig or Liesl will paint your nails for you." Gretl's small hand wiped away one of her tears. Luckily it was the hand that was already dry.

"Oh my darling, I'm crying with happiness." Maria smiled at her. "I am so glad to be here with you – this is the best morning I can remember."

The other girls were instantly surrounding her, wrapping their arms around her tightly.

"You know that we love you, don't you fraulein Maria?" Louisa asked softly, causing a sob to emerge accompanied with the widest of wide smiles.

"And I love you all with my entire heart" Maria responded.

Eventually the children broke away.

"Fraulein Maria?" Louisa asked.

"Yes darling?"

"I really don't want any of this makeup on me, and as much fun as it would be to see how deep a shade of purple Father would become if he saw Marta or Gretl all made up I like having you around too much, so instead could we do a makeover on you?"

Really. How can you argue with logic like that?

_"Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?" _

_(As You Like It, Act III Scene V)_

Maria emerged through the doorway into the dining room at lunch time.

A loud clatter could be heard as the Captain dropped his silverware onto the floor.

A quiet smack could be heard as Liesl and Brigitta high-fived under the table.

_"No sooner met but they looked;_

_No sooner looked but they loved;_

_No sooner loved but they sighed;_

_No sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason;_

_No sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy;_

_And in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage" _

_(As You Like It, Act V Scene II)_

The Captain couldn't breathe. A sea captain, who could hold his breath for well over three minutes due to rigorous training over many years, was choking while on dry land.

But all he would have to do in his defense was show a picture of the woman who had walked through the door. At least that's what he would later tell himself.

It was unquestionably still Maria – the same bright eyes, wide smile, shining hair, tall frame, and two little girls clinging to her waist. But those bright eyes were standing out so much more prominently than usual. And that wide smile was now painted a lovely light pink that caught the light. And the shining hair was arranged neatly around her face. And that frame was covered by a dark blue day-dress with a sheer layer of fabric overtop that caught the light as she walked. Even Marta and Gretl looked different – purely overjoyed, with their hair in curls and their fingers polished.

Had he been able to think, he would have realized it was a dress he had purchased for Liesl not a week ago. But he couldn't so he didn't.

"Good afternoon, Captain. I trust you slept well?" Maria asked as she took her seat at the front of the table.

"I think I might still be asleep…" he muttered to himself, but loudly enough Louisa on his left could hear. She smiled into her sandwich, and sent a discrete thumbs up to the two sisters closest in age to herself.

He had seen her all dressed up before, when Max had brought her home from Vienna. True he had gone semi-catatonic for a moment that night as well, but today something was different. She was always beautiful, but unlike that night she was awash in sunlight matching her personality. Marta and Gretl clung to her much as Louisa and Brigitta had clung to Agathe not that many years ago. But the best features which can never be replicated with makeup or hairspray were the skip in her step, the love in her eyes, the smile gracing her lips and her musical laugh as she twirled about the dining room with his youngest daughters before finally falling into her chair with a rosy glow to her cheeks.

She was beautiful, inside and out. Every time she spoke, every time she laughed, and every time she sang he was again reminded of how lucky he was to have her in his life.

"What will you children be doing this afternoon?" the Captain asked once he had finally regained her bearings.

"I was wondering, Father, if you could help me with my English lessons." Kurt asked, as carefully as he could, reciting Brigitta's 'script' word-for-word.

"You are asking to do homework all afternoon?" Maria asked, clearly surprised.

"School's starting in a week, and I want to be able to impress the girls with my Shakespearean knowledge" Kurt smiled toothily at the grownups, who had a good laugh.

"I'm glad to hear you're so motivated" the Captain chuckled wryly. "And you all want to sit in on this reading?"

The rest of the group nodded.

"If it means not doing my history homework, I'll sit and listen to anything!" Liesl laughed, and the other children were quick to follow with their own comments.

"Kurt, perhaps I could help you with your English? You father probably would like to catch up on his sleep…" Maria had been worried when she had first seen the Captain at lunch, and he had been dropping silverware and stuttering – clearly he was extremely sleep deprived, the poor man.

"Nonsense – I got quite a few hours in this morning. Thank you all for being so quiet." He addressed the table.

"We had a girl's morning and fraulein Maria let us all practice on her!" Gretl chimed in.

"So I see…well you all did an admirable job" the Captain sent a smile to each of his daughters. He was relieved to have an explanation for Maria's appearance – his mind had been running rampant as to why she would be so dressed up in the middle of the day.

The dishes were empty, and the Captain and the children made their way out of the dining hall. To the disappointment of all, clouds had rolled in while they were eating, and the sun was completely blocked.

Instead of leading them out into the grassy area as he had been planning, the Captain instead made his way to the living room where he and Maria had sung 'Edelweiss'.

He stood at the door while his children filed in, and stopped their governess who was at the back of the group.

"You look incredible" he spoke softly, bringing a blush to both their faces.

"Thank you…Liesl and Brigitta convinced me that the little ones needed some female bonding time, or something to that nature."

"They are so lucky to have you…we all are." The Captain's hand grazed Maria's arm, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Would you like to stay for the lesson? You can have the afternoon off if you like…"

"Not at all – I'm a little bit of a Shakespeare fan myself" Maria admitted, at the tension that had grown between them was broken. The Captain held the door for her, entering the room behind her.

_"Doubt though the stars are fire;_

_Doubt that the sun doth move;_

_Doubt truth to be a liar;_

_But never doubt I love." _

_(Hamlet Act II Scene II)_

Meanwhile, while the Captain and Maria were having their interlude at the door, Kurt was reading as quickly as he could from the piece of paper that Brigitta handed to him, memorizing what it was he had to say.

"Just remember 18 – that's the most important. If you say any other number this won't work" she hissed to him, as the two adults entered the room, both with red-tinted cheeks.

This part of the plan was simple – Maria had to see the Captain as not…well a Captain. She had to see his heart.

"Alright Kurt" he said as he took a seat in the large chair the children had gathered around. Liesl and Maria took a seat on the couch across from him. "What play are you having difficulties with?"

"According to Louisa we'll be doing a summit before we start on the plays" Kurt spoke carefully.

"Do you mean a sonnet?" the Captain asked gently, and Kurt nodded, hoping Friedrich would not hurt him too badly if he messed this up.

"Number eighteen." He affirmed.

Brigitta, Louisa, Friedrich, and Liesl all visibly relaxed.

Maria smiled as she recognized her favourite Shakespearean sonnet. She was suddenly ecstatic she had decided to stay – to hear the Captain read those words would be, well, magical.

The Captain didn't even reach for a book as he began to speak. By the second line his eyes had found Maria's, and without realizing it, he was speaking directly to her.

_"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Though art more lovely and more temperate:_

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_

_And summer's lease hath all too short a date:_

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,_

_And often in his gold complexion dimm'd;_

_And every fair from fair sometime declines,_

_By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;_

_But thy eternal summer shall not fade_

_Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;_

_Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,_

_When in eternal lines to time though growest:_

_So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,_

_So long lives this and this gives life to thee."_

A silence overcame the room as the two adults stared at each other, neither daring to move.

"So what does that mean?" Kurt asked, breaking the silence.

The older girls could have slapped him.


	52. Chapter 52

_Chapter Fifty-Two _

_For the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream"_

_(Hamlet, Act II Scene II)_

The rest of the afternoon was spent indoors because of the terrible weather brewing outside. The children listened to a long-winded explanation of the beautiful Sonnet 18, and then continued with their individual lessons until it was supper time.

When the dishes were all cleared and the family was again gathered in the living room, as they had asked her to, Marta approached Maria, who was engrossed in a book on the couch.

"Fraulein Maria?" she asked, tugging at her governess's skirt.

"Yes Marta?"

"I'm tired of studying – may we take a break?"

Maria didn't have to look over at the Captain, who had been reading to Gretl, to answer. "Of course darling, you all have been studying the entire day. Did you have something else in mind that you would like to do tonight?"

"I would like to learn how to dance like you did at the party" she said, her wide brown eyes filled with innocence.

"Oh Marta, I am hardly qualified to teach you to dance properly"

"You danced with Father! I saw it!" Gretl was climbing out of the Captain's lap.

"Oh but my loves, there isn't enough room in here." Maria protested, looking around the small space.

"We could use the ballroom?" Liesl was looking eagerly towards her father.

Maria's eyes widened at the suggestion, remembering her first day at the villa. Even after using it for the puppet performance, she was wary of that room.

"Yes, your fraulein is very fond of the ballroom…" the Captain laughed, and the children were delighted to hear they would be getting their way.

They chatted merrily as they made their way through the hallways and towards the grand room, debating whether a waltz or a foxtrot would be more difficult to learn versus more practical to know.

The Captain and Maria followed closely, and Maria could have sworn she heard him singing under his breath "Dancing in ballrooms and pinecones at mealtime..."

When the Captain flicked on the switch, Maria was again taken by how ornately decorated the room was in its golden splendor.

"Why don't you and father show us a waltz, so we can see what it is supposed to look like before we practice?" Louisa asked not too subtly.

The Captain, who had already begun making his way towards the piano, paused.

"But what about music, darling?" he asked, causing his children to pause, realizing their own mistake.

"We could sing?" Friedrich suggested weakly.

"I don't think waltzes generally have words" Liesl rolled her eyes.

"Hum then?"

Before they could contemplate what to do next, Frau Schmidt knocked on the opened door.

"There is a telegram here for fraulein Maria" she announced.

The Captain sent Maria a questioning look, but she simply shrugged and followed the housekeeper, a slight touch of worry in her eyes.

"Frau Schmidt!" Liesl called suddenly, surprising the Captain. "Who delivered it?"

"Young man Rolf of course." The elderly woman smiled knowingly before accompanying Maria away from the room.

The sixteen-year-old paused, trying to figure out how to subtly extract herself from the room with a father that was infinitely more perceptive than before.

"Invite him in this time, Liesl. It's already storming outside – I don't think you'll make it to the gazebo." The Captain laughed at his eldest daughter's shocked expression.

Liesl ran towards her father and wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you, Father." She whispered, and Georg kissed her on the temple before releasing her.

"Much better they be under my eye than sneaking around anyways." He noted to Friedrich, as the two men watched Liesl tear through the door, hot on the heels of her governess, both with their arms crossed and a bemused expression.

Within five minutes Liesl and Rolf were sitting in the kitchen drinking tea and munching on cookies, but Maria still had not returned.

With each passing 'tick' of the second hand of the clock, the Captain felt worse and worse. He had no idea what was in the telegram, but for Maria to have disappeared for so long worried him. The first thought that had come to mind was illness – Sister Sophia, the Reverend Mother…they had seemed so healthy a week prior, surely they could not become ill that quickly?

Almost fifteen minutes had passed before Maria finally re-appeared at the door. Her eyes were red, and the makeup the girls had put on her smudged a little in the corners, though she had obviously tried to clean herself up.

"Is everything alright?" the Captain asked as he and his children gathered around her.

"It's fine…absolutely fine" she said, trying to calm her visibly trembling hands. "What would you children like to do now? Still hoping for a dancing lesson?"

Marta had not been told to say anything, but was growing tired of the scripted days that her siblings kept planning but refused to tell her why. She decided it was time to take matters into her own hands to make sure she got at least a half hour of fun before it was bedtime!

"Fraulein Maria, could we go outside and play in the rain?" she asked softly.

Maria thought about it for a moment, looking out the window. The worst of the storm had passed, the lightning and thunder had been replaced with a steady rain shower. She knew it was warm outside – the heat had surprised her when she had met Rolf at the door. But even more than that, and what Marta had no way of knowing, the thought of being confined indoors for another minute was motivation enough.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Marta" she agreed, receiving a very mixed response. Marta and Gretl took off running towards the doorway before their father could say anything and ran out into the rain.

Everyone else simply stared at her.

"It's beautifully warm outside, and everyone needs to dance in the rain at least once in their life." She defended herself.

Not waiting for their response, Maria took Brigitta in one hand, Louisa in the other, and pulled them through the glass doors into the rain. Kurt and Friedrich took one look at each other, screamed simultaneously "Mud wrestling!" and ran after their governess, leaving just the Captain in their wake, wondering if he had been somehow transported into an alternate dimension.

It was most assuredly not a good idea – the grounds were slippery, the wind chilly, the sky dark… he stopped his brain, wondering when he had become such an old man. As a child he and Werner loved being outside in the rain, and he would get so angry when his mother made them come in…

And just like that the Captain was eight years old again. He didn't stop to think as he took off his coat jacket, socks, and shoes then followed in the footsteps of the rest of his family.

_When you do dance, I wish you_

_A wave o' th' sea that you might ever do_

_Nothing but that_

_(The Winter's Tale. Scene IV, Act IV) _

It is the most freeing sensation to be outside in the rain, toes squidging in the wet grass, the dark sky taking away your inhibitions. Maria and the girls had kicked off their shoes, and were singing 'My Favourite Things' at the top of their lungs as they danced in rain.

The Captain had the sense to flick on the outside lights by the lake, giving enough of a glow to the night that he could make out forms, but not expressions.

Was she trying to cheer herself up? Was it all an act so the children wouldn't know what's wrong? Was it an act for him? If so, she was a wonderful actor – despite the dark sky, she was practically glowing as she swung his daughters around, trying to maintain her footing on the wet grass.

The Captain had no explanation for her behavior, but watching her twirl about on the grass, effectively ruining Liesl's dress as she slipped and slid, she had never looked more beautiful. Not when Max had paid thousands for a dress, hair and makeup. Not on the night of the ball. Not this morning when he had been unable to breath.

She danced with all the girls, twirling the little ones like ballerinas, and making an effort to cause Brigitta and Louisa to fall into each other or a deep puddle as often as possible until the three of them were in a heap, their laughter resonating off of the mountains.

Warm raindrops were flowing down her face and causing her eyes to shine in the slight light from the lake. Her cheeks were reddened from dancing about, and her feet never stopped moving across the wet grass. Her laughter filled the night's calmness.

The Captain took the hands of his two youngest daughters and spun them, joining in just so he could be closer to the beautiful dancer.

The boys were playing in the mud, running and then seeing how far they could slide. They called for him to join them, but he resigned, making his way towards a familiar flower garden.

_She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed_

_She is woman, and therefore to be won_

_(Henry VI, Act 5 Scene 2) _

The girls had stopped sliding and had decided to join the boy's game of slip-and-slide when the Captain finally made his way back. With a smile, he placed a single flower of a different colour in each of the girl's hair wet hair, earning him four hugs before they were off again.

With his last flower he made his way to Maria, stepping directly in front of her.

Without a word he placed the small white flower that he would only ever associate with one woman behind her ear before smoothing the wet hair overtop to hold it in place.

"Why am I always last?" Maria asked with a smile, her hand covering the Captain's that was still placed on her cheek.

"Because you are the most important" he responded immediately without the slightest teasing to his voice.

They could both feel the air between the crackling and in shock Maria took a step back, dropping his hand as her eyes widened.

"Will you tell me what the telegram said?" the Captain asked softly, but could still be heard above the pattering rain. Whatever it was, he had to know. It was the only way he could begin to help her.

"Once the children are in bed," she agreed in an equal tone.

It physically pained her to turn away from the man in front of her and return to the screaming children, but she was too frightened to choose otherwise.

* * *

Liesl and Rolf watched her siblings flailing about in the grass with great amusement.

"Liesl, your family is absolutely crazy" said Rolf. "One minute I'm afraid your father's going to send a torpedo at me and the next I see him prancing about in the rain like a child."

"I just hope it's not genetic" she groaned, and they clinked their glasses together.

Liesl shook her head as she watched their ridiculousness, wishing with her whole heart she could be out there with them instead of putting on an act for the boy beside her.

If this is what it meant to be a mature grown up, she suddenly wasn't so eager to turn seventeen.

But her eyes found her governess, twirling about, mud splashing on to her bare legs and dress. And it gave her reason to hope.

Maybe maturity didn't have to be about always acting like an adult.

Just maybe it was about knowing when to act responsibly, and when to dance in the rain


	53. Chapter 53

**A/N: This is ****NOT**** the last chapter. There is a note of finality to it near the end, as it is a new beginning for Maria and Georg, but the children still have much scheming to do :) I really hope you enjoy these *ahem* new developments.**

**_Chapter Fifty-Three_**

_A heart to love, and in that heart_

_Courage, to make love known_

_(The Tragedy of Macbeth Act 2 scene 3)_

Maria scrubbed at her skin until it was red and sore. The children were bathed, dried, and tucked into bed_, _giving her time to literally scrape off the layers upon layers of mud, grass, leaves, and sticks. She was, for all practical purposes, a walking archaeological dig.

She almost regretted taking away the dirt and the grime that covered her entire body, because she was a little frightened of who she might find underneath it all.

Everything was changing.

That moment with the Captain in the garden, she had felt the entire earth slipping away from underneath her, and the world had gone black before her eyes, if only for an instant. And then she was back, and he was there staring at her with the same eyes she now dreamt about every night.

She came so close to telling him. She could taste the words they had been so close to emerging.

But she couldn't. She wasn't brave enough to risk losing her best friend.

Maria scrubbed her skin a little harder, trying to bring herself back into her own skin.

And then there was the matter with the telegram—the news she knew she had to share with Georg. The news that filled her with so many emotions that neither her mind nor her heart knew what to feel.

After the children had gone to sleep, she had considered running. Just for an instant the thought of getting away from those eyes, from the uncertainty, from the future and the desire was tempting.

But then Gretl had kissed her goodnight and Maria knew she could never leave these children. Could never leave the Captain after everything he had done for her.

Maria stepped out of the shower and wrapped the largest, fluffiest towel she had around herself. In almost a daze, she went to her closet and didn't even look at the dress that she picked, throwing it on the bed before she sat down beside it.

"Oh Lord please give me some guidance" she prayed, not knowing how she was going to go downstairs and face the Captain again that evening.

"Nothing happened, Maria" she spoke quietly to herself, trying to forget the flood of emotions that had overtaken her while out in the rain. "It was all in your head – after that telegram it's no wonder you were seeing imaginary crazy things."

The Reverend Mother's voice came back to her.

_"Be open to experiences, confident in your abilities, recognizant of your worth and trusting in the Lord. And do not run from happiness – change is frightening, but can lead to great things."_

Like the day when she left the abbey, Maria began to speak-sing as she dressed.

By the time she was dressed, she had sung through the first two verses of _I Have Confidence _and, as expected was feeling much better.

Taking a look in the mirror, Maria realized for the first time that she was wearing the same blue dress that the Captain had bought her for the ball. She thought about taking it off and putting on one of her own plainer selections but the cool smooth feeling of quality fabric on her skin was too appealing, the dress too beautiful to only be worn once.

It was time for the dress to be associated with new memories, whatever they might be.

Her mind was running as she descended the stairs, trying to put together phrases that could describe the words she had read and what they had meant to her.

Because how do you thank somebody for making the only dream you've carried your whole life come true?

_It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves" _

_(The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act I Scene II)_

The Captain could hear Maria coming down the stairs before he saw her. He too had showered and changed after kissing the children goodnight, and was trying to focus himself by playing with a new phonograph the children had not thought to ask about using only hours before on their search for dancing music.

He had no idea what news to expect from Maria – what words he could say that would comfort her. After losing so much in her lifetime, the thought of her having possibly lost somebody else…it seemed impossible.

"Have you tired of my singing already, Captain?" Maria introduced her presence immediately as she entered.

"Never – but if you were singing we couldn't very well talk, could we?" he asked without turning around. Finally the music he had been struggling to play emerged clear as glass.

"Arabesque #1…Debussy" Maria sighed. It was one of her favourite songs.

"You know your classical pieces well…" the Captain trailed off as he saw Maria in the dress he had bought her, and his heart physically missed a beat. She wore no makeup and her hair was not done up, but for the third time that day her natural beauty emanated all around her. He wondered briefly to himself how many times a heart could leap in a period of 24 hours before it was considered an arrhythmia.

He made a mental note to postpone his annual physical.

"It was one of my father's favourites" she said, taking a seat on the couch where the Captain gestured.

They were both silent simply enjoying the music for several minutes.

At 2 minutes, 17 seconds into the song, the music began changed.

"Captain…why aren't you asking me what was in the telegram?"

"Why are you calling me 'Captain' again?" he responded, as confused as she.

"Because I am nervous about telling you what the letter said!" Maria responded with just a touch of anger. He didn't seem to understand how difficult this was for her!

"I didn't ask because I thought you would tell me when you were ready." The Captain responded, but then thought about what Maria had said, and suddenly his theory about the news didn't make any sense. "Wait, why are you so nervous?"

"Because of all the work you put in to make it a possibility!" she responded in confusion. She had been certain the Captain would have at least figured out whom the telegram was from.

"Wait, this is about your teaching degree?" the Captain could have laughed he was so thankful, but from the nervous look on Maria's face he bit his tongue.

"Of course, what did you think the telegram was about?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"I was worried that something had happened to one of your friends at the abbey – that the Reverend Mother had fallen ill or something!" he admitted.

And suddenly the tension in the room shifted as Maria realized how very different the news she could be sharing might have been. The Captain no longer felt the apprehension speaking to the young woman- the worst possible news would be that she would have to repeat the class during the fall semester and start her internship in January.

"No, Captain…Georg. I- I don't know how to tell you this. I…Oh Georg I passed with highest distinction!" Maria's eyes were filled with tears as she spoke the words she had been yearning to say all night but hadn't known how to express them.

The news took less than a second to sink in, and then Maria was in his arms as he spun her around the room until they were both laughing too hard to continue.

"Maria! Why didn't you tell me right away?" the Captain gasped, his arms still loosely around her waist.

"I didn't know how. I didn't want to seem like I was bragging, especially after everything you've done to make this possible for me…I mean, how can I possibly thank you for this… "

"Maria." The Captain placed two fingers under her chain, and forced her to look directly at him. "All I did was make a couple phone calls. This is your achievement – everything that has happened was because of you. You who took college classes while in high school. You who went behind your uncle's back to follow your dreams. You who wrote your final paper, which was supposed to take months, in less than a week. Be proud, Maria – you have accomplished something that many people who had all the support they could handle never could."

Maria's eyes were watering.

"Thank you, Georg. I have never been happier than I was when I opened that telegram. I- well there's no words to describe how I felt. I've been fighting with myself all evening trying to put it into words."

"There's no need…I think I have an idea." They were both speaking softly to each other.

The room became silent as the music changed from Debussy to Chopin – Waltz Op 64 No 2 specifically.

The Captain stood and held his hand out to her.

"We never got to finish our dance at the party."

_For women's eyes this doctrine I derive: _

_They sparkle still the right Promethean fire; _

_They are the books, the arts, the academes, _

_That show, contain, and nourish all the world _

_(Love Labours Lost Act IV Scene III)_

Maria stood and placed her hand into his, smiling as his fingers completely enveloped her own. He led her outside onto the terrace. The rain had stopped, and everything smelled new and fresh. Her eyes shone in the darkness with excitement as she stood in front of him.

As the first theme repeated for the second time, the Captain bowed and Maria curtseyed low, their eyes never leaving each other as they descended and ascended in sync with each other. Almost like magnetism their hands met and feet began to move in time with the music.

The initial theme repeated again as the Captain led them around the entire perimeter of the terrace, two pairs of blue sapphires never leaving each other, speaking words their voices could not explain. The second theme of the song began and Maria began to add her own twirls, delighted when the Captain kept up with her step-for-step.

In swirls of blue she twirled around the balcony, moving further away from the Captain only to wind up back in his arms. Their eyes laughed as they twirled about, not caring about form or technique, their voices lost to the magical world the music had created for them.

At each chromatic descent, Maria allowed herself to twirl back into him until her back was to his chest and one of his arms holding her tightly against him, only to be spun out again.

The music changed key and grew softer. The couple remained face-to-face, the Captain's arm holding Maria's slim frame closely to his body as he led her through a complex series of footsteps, many of which he was inventing on the spot. As if they were one person, Maria's feet followed his without assistance from her eyes. At the end of a crescendo Maria turned in place, her face inches from his. She could feel the warmth of his rapid breath on the bridge of her nose and the beating of his heart against her chest. They froze for a moment, she wrapped tightly in his strong arms and he breathing in her flowery scent.

The Captain noticed the small white flower that had been tucked behind her ear, partially hidden by hair. His eyes followed her neck, and he noticed something shiny on the end of a silver chain. His whistle. He took in a shuddering breathe in, trying to calm himself.

The main, more light-hearted, initial theme resumed and Maria and the Captain again began to move. They turns twirling and dancing with quick steps around one another, never more than an arm's reach away from each other, their gaze parting only for an instant during a turn before finding each other anew. Neither was laughing any longer.

A chromatic descent played and Maria, knowing the music by heart, spun as quickly and with as much grace as she could towards him, a grand finale. The Captain reciprocated, pulling her body so that the fronts of their bodies were touching, one of his arms encircling her waist and one of hers around the back of his neck. Their other hands were clasped tightly, finger woven together.

The last line of the song played as Maria and the Captain remained frozen, out of excuses to pull away from each other. This time there was no party, no children, no Elsa or Max, no twisted ankle. No sound could be heard besides their quickened breathing.

The phonograph quietly clicked off.

_Eternity was in our lips and eyes,_

_Bliss in our brows bent_

_(Antony and Cleopatra, Act Scene III)_

Maria watched a stream of questions play within the Captain's eyes – surprise changed to realization, astonishment and then nervousness. A spark ran down her spine and she felt her insides jerk when his eyes focused on hers, wary at first but growing confident. They were asked permission.

Maria's heart skipped a beat, and a rush traveled to her brain. Her eyes went out of focus except for the two orbs staring back at her. She could hear ringing in her ears, and her hand tightened around the Captain's neck as her knees weakened. She willed her head to nod, her voice to say yes, a smile to come to her lips…anything…but her body was frozen.

But the Captain could read her like she could him, and found his answer in her stare; in the same way she had known his question. His mind registered that there was no fear or reluctance in her eyes before it ceded control to his heart.

Maria could feel the Captain's arm around her waist tighten, pulling her upper body ever so slightly towards him. As though part of the dance, their hands simultaneously released each other, his travelling to her face to brush away non-existent hair from her eyes and hers to run a thumb along the ridge of his jaw.

Their eyes remained locked as the Captain slowly lowered his head towards hers. She could feel his warm breathe on her cheek as he paused momentarily, asking one last time. The hand Maria had behind his neck moved into his hair, her fingers entwining in the softness.

Maria's eyes closed at the feeling of his soft lips finally touching hers. Like a wave going through her body, her blood burned in her veins, and her fingertips and toes tingled as though they had been asleep. She was grateful for his arm around her waist, as she would have fallen to her knees without his support. Behind her closed eyelids she could see bursts of light, and the ringing in her ears intensified. The feeling of warmth that enveloped her intensified as she felt the Captain's hand move from her cheek to behind her head, pulling them closer together.

She molded her body and her lips to match his, unwilling to leave the smallest space between them. She could feel the heat radiating off his body as she matched her pressure with his.

In both an eternity and a second their lips parted, and their faces pulled away enough to look each other in the eye.

Maria stared at him with wide eyes, her fingers leaving his hair to touch her lips.

"Can this be happening to me?" she whispered behind her fingers, though loudly enough for the Captain to make out her words.

Without saying anything, Georg guided her head to his chest and rested his cheek on the top of her head. It was the hardest thing the decorated sea captain had ever done; everything he was, everything he felt, longed to reclaim her lips with his own yet he would not rush her.

Maria's eyes closed as she breathed in his scent, committing it to memory as her fingers rested on the strong muscles of his back. The world was quiet and still, yet everything was different and new.

They stood in the moonlight until a birdsong was heard.

They separated, blue eyes sparking with moonlight, again meeting in the night.

The Captain traced Maria's cheekbone with his fingers, wondering how he could have been so blind for so long.

Neither could bear the thought of the moment ending, but as all good things must, this time too had to come to an end. The birdsong again sounded.

"The lark" the Captain whispered to the woman he knew would appreciate the irony.

"Night's candles must be burnt out" Maria whispered back, shivering as Georg kissed her forehead.

The Captain's arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist, they made their way up the stairs and stopped in front of Maria's room.

Maria had no words to say as she turned to the Captain, her eyes wide with innocence.

"I could say good night til it be morrow" the Captain whispered, meaning every word of the misconstrued quote.

"A thousand times good night." Maria whispered back.

Her eyes closed and she felt Georg's warm lips brush against her cheek and then, hesitantly and softly against her lips. If she could chose one moment to last for an eternity, she prayed the world would stop then.

He stepped back and slowly dropped her hand that he had been holding.

There were no more words to be said that night – no language devised by man held the ability to convey what their looks, their touches, and their hearts could say.

_Journeys end in lovers meeting_

_Every wise man's son doth know_

_(Twelfth Night, Act II Scene III)_


	54. Chapter 54

_Chapter Fifty-Four_

Only once she was tucked between the bed sheets, her head smothered by both her pillows and her quilt did Maria allow herself to scream quietly into the downy sound-barrier. She kicked her legs onto the soft mattress and tightened her hands into tight fists as she held the tower pillows-and-blankets over her mouth.

She felt so full…full of energy, full of love, full of hope…and didn't know what to do with it all. If she had been alone, she certainly would have been jumping on the bed, dancing around the room, singing as loudly as she could – but she knew that the children were right down the hall…and so was he.

Just that thought – that one little bit of the Captain in her mind – was enough to prompt another feeling of overwhelming joy, and she punched her fists into the pillow in a blind effort to relieve the sensation of being purely overwhelmed.

When her arms and legs muscles finally gave out and her voice scratchy, Maria re-arranged the blankets and pillows and sat up in her bed so she could see the stars out the window.

She was certain that she won't get any rest that night – she was too filled with joy.

At least those were her final thoughts before she slumped back on the soft pillows.

That night Maria not only dreamt, but she remembered. She was back in the restaurant with Max, watching his lips come closer to her, her body completely freezing while her mind screamed at her, remorse coursing through her veins though the kiss hadn't happened yet. She watched herself and Max at the table, completely removed from the situation, saw how her body fought with itself, confused and frightened. A cuckoo clock is heard and Maria is suddenly back in her own body, running through the door and under those same stars, back to the abbey, scared of what the next day would bring. But then the abbey is gone and she's running, faster than she has ever run before – through the streets of Salzburg, watching the cafés, the dress stores, the zoo pass by her. Max is still with her and her nausea worsens as the world around her spins too quickly, the scenery changing faster than she can adapt, and she doesn't know where to go, so she goes home.

At least that's how she feels when she bursts through the door of the villa. She is home.

And then she realizes it is not the world that is spinning, it is her, and she is on the terrace and she spins into the Captain's arms. She realizes the clamoring noise around her has become music, that raises to its final crescendo.

And then there's stillness.

The world disappears around them, and his eyes are locked with hers.

And the feeling of dread is gone…the remorse, the uncertainty, the fear all disappear as their lips meet. And this time Maria is not a bystander watching. Her senses are hypersensitive – she tastes the sweetness of his lips, feels the warmth radiating from his body, smells the spiciness of his cologne, hears him moan her name and when she opens her eyes, sees the love in his eye.

Because in her dream, she has no doubt he loves her.

* * *

A loud bang wakes Maria, followed by two gasps.

Having been in a deep sleep, Maria is barely awake when she opens one eye to see Marta and Gretl standing beside her bed holding hands, looking guiltily at the alarm clock they had knocked over in the dark, now lying in pieces.

"What's wrong girls?" Maria mumbles, but a flash of lightning that illuminates her room answers before they can. The storm is back.

"We tried to sing, fraulin Maria, but singing we couldn't sleep." Gretl tries to explain, but jumps nearly a foot in the air when the thunder 'answers back' to the lightening.

"Well come on in" she says, lifting up one side of the covers. The girls do not hesitate to scramble under them, and Maria wraps her arm around the two of them, pulling them close to her chest. Softly she began to hum _Edelweiss_ to lull the girls to sleep. Maria falls asleep lost in an evening that passed weeks ago.

* * *

As he had done his entire life, the Captain awoke as the sun was rising over the mountains. Every morning since Agathe had become ill, he had dressed immediately after waking, never spending a moment longer with his thoughts than necessarily.

Yet this morning, well this morning was different. The minute his eyes opened, Georg waited for his legs to swing towards to the side of the bed, an action that was truly more of a reflex than voluntary, but after a few seconds of waiting it was clear his body was in no rush to get up.

He contented himself instead of watch the sun rise – something he had never done in his life before Maria. Agathe had enjoyed sleeping late, and at those early hours had been his time with the children.

The sun's oranges and reds made the white tops of the mountains appear more volcanic than majestic, and the Captain's mind returned to the events of last night. They had played and re-played throughout his dreams all night, which may at least partially account for his unparalleled demeanor that morning.

When she had walked in the room in that dress, he had to hold his tongue to curse the Fates, or God, or whatever force more powerful than himself that had made her chose that dress. The dress that made her utterly irresistible. What evil would to tempt him so while she cried over the loss or illness of a friend. And then the anticipated devastation was replaced with elation and excitement, and her entire being glowed and she looked breathtaking.

And so they danced, and he was no longer a Captain and she a governess, and when they kissed…he wouldn't let himself think about that while he was lying in bed alone, a new day dawning.

He knew that his mind should be filled with worries – concerns about what he would say to Maria that morning, how they would act around the children, if the kiss was simply a kiss or if it meant something more to her, what society would think … well honestly he didn't care whatsoever about the last one. He was too contented remembering the feeling of her in his arms, the sense of perfection when his lips met hers, and the elation when she responded.

And then suddenly the Captain couldn't waste another moment in bed when he could be with her. He had seen her most mornings, sitting out on the terrace watching the sun come up. The realization that she could be brewing tea right under his feet motivated him to jump from the bedclothes, slip on a pair of black slacks and a grey shirt and quietly run down the stairs, running his fingers through his hair instead of slicking them back as he usually did.

He went directly to the kitchen, where the cook had his cup of coffee already made for him. He requested an additional large mug of tea, and made his way to the patio.

To his surprise and disappointment, the railing that Maria normally occupied was only the perch of a small bird. Probably the same lark that had sang to them the night before.

He paused, unsure where to go from there. He had been so sure that she would be down there…

Normally he had no problems filling his mornings –the quiet house at that hour was the perfect environment for getting paperwork and military research done – but the thought of locking himself in his study alone was depressing at best considering the giddiness he was trying to repress.

The children.

The solution was so simple – he was so filled with energy that the coffee in his mug was shaking and desperate for an outlet, and the children always seemed to have some kind of a plan up their sleeves.

With confident steps, he ascended the stairs, never pausing to set down the two mugs that he was holding in one hand. Reaching the boy's room, he knocked lightly with a free elbow before peeking through the crack. He again marveled at Maria's ability to keep some semblance of sanity to their room that usually appeared as though a small tornado had gone through. Both boys were sprawled across their respective beds, blanked balled up around them.

He was further disappointed when he checked on the older girls, finding them sleeping as well.

Opening the door to Gretl and Marta's room, he expected to see two smiling faces playing with their dolls, or at least two slumbering figures. He did not, however, expect two empty beds, sheets thrown on the floor, with some furniture overturned.

His mind automatically shifted to military-drive as his heart skipped a beat. As his training had engrained in his responses, he took several deep breaths and forced himself to think rationally rather than emotionally.

His feet were moving before his mind was, his elbow lightly tapping on Maria's door. When there was no response, he opened the door a crack. The sight in the room was enough to give him pause.

As he had suspected down on the patio, Maria was still asleep, but she was not alone. Curled on either side of her were his two youngest daughters, their heads resting on her shoulders and their arms wrapped around her waist as Maria slept on her back with her two arms encircling their little bodies.

The Captain stood in the doorway and watched as the three, all clad in white nightdresses, breathed in and out. Eventually he realized that he had no right to be there – he knew his daughters were safe and should have left immediately after seeing them- but he couldn't bear to take his eyes away, to leave the peaceful utopia he had discovered.

His eyes paused to examine each of his daughter's faces and he recognized how much Gretl looked like Agathe, and recognized features in Marta's face that he saw every day when he looked in the mirror.

He finally allowed his eyes to roam to Maria's face, and felt his heart warm at the serenity he found. Even in her sleep she was smiling slightly, and he felt blessed to see such stillness in a body and mind that was constantly going.

In due course the ceramic mugs began to burn his fingers and as quietly as he could, he placed the two on the nightstand beside the bed.

He clearly was not as quiet as he had hoped, as at the slight bang the heavy cups made on contact with the wood, Gretl began to stir. He was reaching for the doorknob when he heard her small voice.

"Mother?"

The Captain's breath caught in his throat and he turned slowly back towards the bed. His youngest daughter had been speaking in that half-asleep stage, as her eyelids only then began to flutter as she stirred and hugged closer to Maria. The only mother she had ever known.

Two months ago to hear his daughter call another woman 'mother' would have sent him into a fury of despair, bitterness, and heartbreak. That morning, however, it warmed his heart, reminding him again how blessed his entire family was the day Maria thoroughly chastised him. If he once believed Elsa had saved his life, he knew for certain that it was Maria who had given it back to him.

Though he could have stood there and watched his children and their governess, his Maria, sleep for hours, he maintained enough cognitive function to recognize that would be both highly inappropriate and shocking to all three when they awoke.

He again turned towards the door, hoping his youngest daughter had fallen back asleep, but luck was not on his side. He would have to get the floorboard replaced immediately.

"Father?" she asked in surprise.

"Good morning darling" he whispered as quietly as he could.

Like a trigger, he was no longer done his sentence and Maria's eyes too fluttered open.

"Georg?" she asked in a surprisingly clear voice. "Is everything alright?"

The Captain couldn't help but notice how her arms tightened around the children as she spoke. This instinctual protective act just added to the thrill of hearing his name be the first word out of her lips in the morning.

"Everything's fine…I'm sorry for waking you. I went to check on the girls this morning and panicked when they were not there."

"There was a storm, Father. Marta and I tried to sing, but the thunder was too loud and we couldn't hear each other" Gretl spoke in her wisest tone as she stretched her arms wide before returning them around Maria's waist. Clearly she was not willing to get up yet.

Maria looked to where her clock normally stood, but found it missing. Her eyes travelled to the floor and the memory of the bang in the night made sense.

"What time is it?" she asked the Captain, fully awake by his presence.

"Only half past six. I'll leave you to sleep for another hour."

But Maria's eyes had found the tea.

"No, I'm awake, please stay. Is that for me?" she asked as she propped herself into a semi-seated position in bed.

Seeing as she couldn't very well lean over for fear of crushing Gretl (who had fallen back asleep), the Captain handed her the mug, and took a seat on the foot of the bed, being careful not to sit on Maria's feet. The only chair in the room was piled high with the fabric he had given her a couple nights before so that she could make some dresses to wear to school, at the time not knowing if it would be immediately or in the winter session.

"How was your sleep?" he asked after he took a sip of coffee. It was not the question he wanted to ask, far from it, but there were delicate ears in the room, and he knew Gretl was part parrot – she would repeat everything and anything to her older siblings and though she may not understand everything that was said, they certainly would.

"Surprisingly good." Maria answered truthfully. She was grateful for the return to normalcy. She hadn't been sure what to expect at the breakfast table that morning – how to speak to him, how to act around him, how to keep her face a normal shade with his eyes on her… She was comforted in the recognition that their friendship had not suffered from the progression of their relationship. Still, a massive shift was recognizable between the two – gazes held longer, words chosen more carefully, and the Captain didn't realized when his fingers started to gently rubbed Maria's feet through the quilt.

"Surprisingly?" he asked with a pointed look. He knew it was childish to play such games, making implications out of what was most probably an innocent statement, but he was determined to bring colour to her cheeks.

"Considering I was nervous about today…" she continued with a slight gleam in her eye.

The Captain could tell that she was baiting him on just as he was she, and was relatively sure he would ultimately be the one caught.

"Why would you be nervous about today?" he took the bait.

"There's somebody I knew I would have to face, and I wasn't sure what I should say, how I should act, that kind of thing."

"And what happened to make facing this person such a dilemma?"

"Last night was an exciting night for me, Captain von Trapp."

"Do tell"

"Well I got this telegram that changed my life, and now today I have to go to the school and speak with the teacher I will be interning with."

They were both smiling at the banter, each knowing what the other was talking about right from the get-go, but pushing it out as long as possible.

"You truly are unique" the Captain said as Maria took a sip of her tea, but continued before she could question his comment. "So you're planning on going to the school today?"

Maria nodded as she swallowed. "The telegram told me to be at the school right after lunch to meet with the teacher, get a feel for the building, and start lesson planning. Of course only if that works for you and the children."

"Of course it's not a problem. Have you decided when you're going to tell the children?" the Captain asked, maintaining the whispered tone they had been using so the girls would not wake.

"I was hoping you could help me with that – the last time I tried to plan a 'great reveal' I managed to convince you my friends were ill and dying."

"I may have overreacted slightly" the Captain conceded.

"You think?" Maria retorted wryly, earning her toes a gently squeeze.

"Why don't you tell them at breakfast? They're going to be so excited, not to mention it'll save us from having to think of some story of where you're going all afternoon."

"And what about you, Georg? Any great plans for the day?" she asked conversationally, not wanting the Captain to leave.

She needn't have worried, as he was in no rush to go. He turned slightly so he could rest his back on the metal footboard of the bed, kicking off his shoes so that he could sit with his legs up on the bed, careful not to kick his daughter, and face Maria directly.

To her delight, he gently moved her legs, still wrapped in their covers, from their position on the bed so that they were sitting on his lap.

"Well I thought about giving a wild and crazy party for Liesl's teenage friends this afternoon while you're away, but then decided than an intern should get a ride into town on her first day of work."

Maria flushed with pleasure and embarrassment.

"Really Georg, I can walk or Franz can give me a ride. You giving up your entire afternoon to act as my chauffeur is completely unnecessary."

"Perhaps not necessary, but my pleasure" he responded easily. "If it makes you feel any better, we can take the children with us, and while you're working we can go shopping for school supplies and clothing."

Had Maria's hands not been filled with two girls and a mug of tea, they would have flown to cover her mouth.

"Oh but I promised I would take them after Liesl and Friedrich declined a Vienna-trip. I completely forgot!" she admitted.

"Not to worry. I'm quite certain Louisa and Friedrich are thrilled with this situation. They seem to find me to be much easier to manipulate into buying them things than you."

"They do certainly have a knack for getting what they want" she agreed.

"You should see the two of them when they put their differences aside and plot together – they are a force to be reckoned with!"

"Imagine what they could do if all seven of them worked together!"

"They could have schemes going on for weeks without anyone knowing with that combined force."

"I am quite certain they could sell milk to a goat-herder if they put their minds to it."

"And the poor victim would probably think it was his idea to begin with!" said the Captain, and then two of them rang in the morning with their laughter.


	55. Chapter 55

**A/N: Keeping in mind the children have no idea anything has happened between the Captain and Maria, welcome to the introduction of 'Plan D - The Classics". Enjoy!**

_Chapter Fifty-Five_

The silence in the room was like a weight on Maria's chest. She had just announced her plans for the fall to the children and was waiting for a reply. It seemed as though the ticks of the clock on the wall had slowed from a regular quick rhythm to a taunting, drawn-out procedure.

And then the children were crowded around her, showering her with hugs and warm wishes. And her anxiety was gone.

"Fraulein Maria, I'm not sure you know what you're getting into! Imagine a room of twenty Friedrichs!" Louisa chortled, one arm secured around her governess's waist.

"Have you always wanted to be a teacher?" Brigitta asked from Maria other side, helping her to balance the two squealing girls on her knees.

"Since I was a little girl" Maria admitted. "I never thought that my dream would ever come true."

"What changed?" Liesl asked curiously.

"A fairy god-father" Maria responded.

"No silly, it's a fairy god-mother" Gretl corrected wisely.

"I'm relatively certain that it involved both God and an incredible father this time, darling" Maria correctly gently.

Though the other children were focused solely on their governess, Friedrich's eyes roamed towards their father, and observed the slight redness that came to his cheek at Maria's words. He continued to watch him, as Louisa spoke.

"When did you have time to get your degree? You've been with us all summer!"

"I owe everything to a very special person who spent hours on the telephone arranging everything, helping me to fill out all the paperwork and find the resources to write my final paper, then gave me a week off to write my final paper." Though she had not wanted to, the Captain had made Maria promise she would not mention his involvement in getting her degree, emphasizing again and again that it was her accomplishment alone. Well she didn't mention him straight out…

"Is that where you were a couple weeks ago when Father spent the week with us?" Kurt asked.

Maria nodded. "I have been so blessed in every way possible. I will never forget the kindness that I have been paid."

Friedrich watched his father's eyes closely, noting that they hadn't blinked since Maria made her announcement, staring at her with a tender expression on his face.

"When do you start?" asked Louisa.

"Today – right after lunch in fact"

"And that's why the rest of us are going into town to buy school supplies" the Captain finally interjected, and Friedrich noticed a slight waver in his voice.

As the children filed out of the room and towards their study, Friedrich spoke to them one by one, all with the same message. They had to talk.

* * *

"Liesl, Brigitta, as much as it pains me to admit this – and trust me, I'm in agony just saying this – you were right." Friedrich whispered. The children were supposedly working on their studies, and it was a rare instance where both Maria and the Captain were not helping them. Friedrich had sent them off in search of a book he claimed he needed, but was relatively sure was not part of their massive library.

"I'm sure we were…but about what?" Liesl asked.

"About Father and fraulein Maria…especially Father." Friedrich explained. "Did you see the way he was looking at her today when she was talking about her job at the school? And from everything fraulein Maria explained, it sounds like he went way out of his way to make this happen for her."

"And that's on top of the way he looked at her when they were out in the rain last night" Liesl chimed in. "I was so sure he was going to kiss her – I could feel the heat from inside the kitchen!"

"He's fallen for her" Brigitte couldn't keep the glee out of her voice.

"Suuure he has" Louisa said in the most sarcastic voice she could muster "Because our plans have gone so well thus far. Let's recap, shall we? Capture the flag where Father had no one to protect Maria from because you all are terrible at the game and pose zero threat. Then there was the infamous 'keep them apart' plan where they end up spending the entire day together, the 'make Maria beautiful' where I ended up with horrible purple nails, the 'make father love-able and get them to dance' where he ends up reading some nonsense and then there's no music…people, if we were playing baseball we'd be struck-out by now! Probably sent home."

"That's because we've been looking at all the wrong type of literature to get inspirations from!" said Friedrich, holding up two hands in a surrender position. "Whenever I used to ask Father how he got so smart, he would say by reading. And he's _always_ reading 'the classics'. It's like Brigitta said– they've been around forever so there must be some truth to them. Only they don't have superhuman-type characters who can walk across swords stuck in trees like in mythology, don't have imaginary creatures like in fairytales, and aren't completely incomprehensible like those plays."

To her credit, Brigitta managed to keep her opinions to herself.

"What classic do you suggest, Friedrich?" Liesl asked.

"Well it seems like Father's taken with her – like I said, he's done too much to make this dream of hers come true for it to have been only an act of friendship. So it's Maria we have to convince. For English class I've been reading Jane Eyre- no laughing you guys, it was on the 'required' list."

"It's actually a really good book" Brigitta agreed, impressed with her brother.

"Want a summary?" Friedrich asked before the others could ask for one. All heads except Liesl (who had read it two years prior) and Brigitta (who kept it beside her bed at all times) nodded, so he began.

"At the beginning of the book, Jane is an orphan who is living with a cruel aunt that forces her into an attic as a punishment where she sees her father's ghost. She becomes a teacher and then a governess at Thornfield Manor – "

"Well this is sounding promising" Kurt interjected, earning him a glare from his brother for interrupting. Friedrich continued.

"- at Thornfield Manor where she falls in love with Rochester, her employer, who she saves from a fire. Eventually Rochester proposes and Jane is thrilled to accept, but on the day of the wedding it is said that Rochester is already married to a woman named Bertha. Though he tries to explain that Bertha has gone completely crazy and had been responsible for the fire, Rochester is left by Jane, who is then forced to sleep outside and beg for food because she has nowhere to go. Eventually she makes friends and gets a better life and though other men propose to her, she realizes that she has always been in love with one man. One night she hears him calling to her, but when she gets to the mansion she finds Bertha has burned it to cinders, and Rochester has lost his sight, and it ends by saying that they live happily together as equals."

"As equals?" Louisa asked.

"Well that's where I'm going with all this."

"This is the second time someone has mentioned burning this house down…" Kurt hesitantly mentioned, but was ignored by his older brother who continued.

"It's hard to explain, but throughout the entire book Jane keeps insisting that she doesn't only want Rochester to love her – basically that love is a wonderful thing, but it must be accompanied by a sense of being valued and of belonging to truly mean anything. She does not want to lose her independence, and that's why she runs away from Rochester's marriage proposal – she refuses to be nothing more than a mistress while he's already married. I can't remember the words, but she basically says that she must be as important to her husband as he is to her."

" 'I am my husband's life as fully as he is mine'" Brigitta quoted.

"I think you may have read this too many times" Liesl laughed. "And Friedrich, I understand what you're saying. I don't think Uncle Max was very good at making fraulein Maria feel valued and special – at least not when I saw them together. And I'm sure that she would worry it would be even worse with Father."

"With him being a decorated war hero and whatnot?" said Louisa. "Can you imagine the pillow talk? 'Well my dear, I saved thousands of lives when I was in the army. What have you been up to?' I can see why she might be worried about him prattling on about himself."

"So do you have a plan?" Brigitta asked her older brother.

"I like to call plan D 'Fraulein Maria Appreciation Day'" Friedrich announced proudly. "Now there is a lot to do today because it has to happen tomorrow."


	56. Chapter 56

**A/N: Thank you so very much for the reviews - I was so excited when I refreshed my screen today and saw all the comments! This story will not get into details about Maria's placement as an intern; however, I wanted to include a brief snippet and here it is! Enjoy. **

**_Chapter Fifty-Six_**

"Fraulein Maria, it is a true delight to meet you! My name is Frau Innes, welcome!" Frau Innes greeted Maria at the front doors of the high school.

"It is truly a pleasure Frau Innes – thank you so very much for accepting my application to intern here on such short notice."

"Not at all - I have heard wonderful things about you from Vienna, and am so happy to have you joining me this semester. Now I'll start by telling you a little how our schedule is going to work. This is a private school, and the elementary school and the high school are connected, only in different wings. In the mornings we will be working with the high school students – I will have you teaching choir class to begin with, and once you are comfortable I would like to give you my 'history of music' class. We will work together to conduct the band, as there are enough students there for three teachers! In the afternoons we go to the elementary school and children of each grade have an hour of music class every second day – this includes both music and dance."

"That sounds wonderful" Maria admitted. She was already coming up with clever ways of integrating her choir class with the music history, field trips around town…she was itching to find a pencil and notebook and get to work! But there were more details to be discussed.

"As I'm sure you know school doesn't start for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to meet with you today to get you started on your lesson planning. Have you done any in the past?"

"It was part of a course in college; however, I'm afraid that was a few years ago."

Frau Innes struggled not to show her surprise. She had heard about the special circumstances of Maria's late acceptance; however, she still was not certain how a woman as young as Maria could say her college courses were 'quite a few years ago'. This was just one mystery surrounding this young intern, and she was determined she would find out the truth with time.

"Well then I will include several of my old ones with your reading material. I'm afraid I will be away for the next couple of weeks until school starts, that's why we had to meet on such short notice, so I won't be around to answer your questions…"

"I'm confident I can work my way through it." Maria surprised herself by readily confirming. The knowledge that the Captain's vast library had several books on education wasn't something she felt would be appropriate for her to bring forward.

"I am glad to hear it. The first day of class is always chaotic as the students are excited to see friends and there is a great deal of paperwork, so we will work together. That afternoon we can sit down with your plans and see how things are coming."

"That sounds perfect," Maria was practically vibrating with excitement at the possibilities.

"Now school starts at 9 every morning, but I would like it if we could meet by 8:30 to go over your lesson plans for the day. At the end of the day students finish at 3:30 and I hope that our debriefing session will never go later than 4:00. Would this work for you?"

Maria stumbled with her words "The Cap- …I mean the chil-…I'll make it work." She finally promised.

"Maria if there is going to be a conflict please let me know now and we'll deal with it right away before it causes any problems."

"I don't want to make any more work for you, and I hate to be a pain… it's just that I'm working as a governess for Captain von Trapp and had been hoping to get a ride in with the children…but I don't know what their school-year schedule is like."

"Oh then it will be no problem. Since Liesl began the first grade, the von Trapp children have been at school no later than quarter past eight every morning – they are all active participants in the wide variety of extracurricular activities here. I believe the Captain usually has a car sent for them at five, which will serve our purposes very well."

Maria sighed with relief. Crisis averted.

"Oh that is wonderful – I would have felt terribly asking the Captain for another favour."

"How is it, working for Captain von Trapp?" Frau Innes asked. She had, naturally, heard the rumours circulating about town – questions of why the Baroness deserted her own party and then left town permanently, why the famed Herr Detweiller had not been back in town to visit his best friend, and most relevant to this discussion, what exactly was going on between the Captain and his young governess.

"At first we didn't quite see eye-to-eye, but we've become good friends" said Maria, remaining discrete in her answer. She didn't know how much of their relationship the Captain would want her sharing, but suspected discretion would be the smarter choice.

"Friends with Captain von Trapp…hard to imagine" Frau Innes murmured, loud enough for Maria to hear.

"That's precisely what I too thought a few months ago, but…" Maria trailed off, unsure how to put to words what she saw in the Captain "…beneath the cool exterior that he projects lays the kindest, most selfless heart – he will go to any length to help the people that he cares about."

'Like you?' The thought was on the tip of Frau Innes's tongue – when the Captain had phoned the school weeks back, the headmaster had been certain it was about one of the children. When he found out that the Captain was attempting to plan an internship in the music department for a woman who did not yet have her teaching degree, he could not believe his ears- not only was the thought of somebody other than the College of Education setting up an internship unheard of, but for Captain von Trapp to be the one to break social protocol was unbelievable. He had approached Frau Innes and informed her of the application, though without mentioning names, but the music teacher had promptly refused, stating that she could not accept an applicant if she knew absolutely nothing about her, including a name. Though the Captain paid a great deal of money to send his children to this private school, where it is well understood that the money is a payment for discretion in all family matters, the headmaster had been forced to disclose the information about both the applicant and the caller to Frau Innes, who had been equally shocked. They had both agreed that the most prudent choice would be to conditionally accept the application of this Maria.

Frau Innes had been shocked one evening while when the phone rang, and it was the Dean of Education himself calling about the internship applicant. He informed her that Maria had received her degree, and gave her a brief overview of the paper Maria had written. Frau Innes had been floored by the evidence gathered and the conclusions drawn – it was groundbreaking work that had the possibility for true classroom application. The dean finished the conversation by mentioning that the paper was the best of this year's batch of students, and he was eager to have Maria publish.

Nevertheless, as good gossip always does, the news of the Captain stepping well over the line drawn by the socialites in terms of helping the help was much too juicy to be kept under wraps, and as gossip usually does the news had not only spread but had been embellished. It was no longer possible to tell fact from fiction, but everybody in the school was waiting for Maria's fist day when they could grill her on her relationship with the Captain.

She knew that she could get the answer out of Maria with time.


	57. Chapter 57

She knew that she could get the answer out of Maria with time.

_Chapter Fifty-Seven_

"—were you? Do you have any idea how worried I was when I returned to the fountain and you weren't there?"

"Gretl had to use the washroom, and you weren't coming back!"

"I'm quite sure she could have waited another five minutes."

"She said it was an emergency!"

"It doesn't take fifteen minutes to run into the restaurant and come out again!"

"There was a line up!"

Maria could hear the arguing voices of the Captain and Louisa when she stepped out of the school that afternoon. She couldn't quite see them over the large pile of papers and books in her arms that stretched above her level of sight, but she knew their voices…especially his…anywhere.

She knew that they had seen her as soon as the voices faded out.

The Captain followed his instincts when he jumped out of the driver's seat, all but ran to her side, and took the towering pile from her.

Frau Innes watched from the door of the school with interest.

"What's all this?" he asked, struggling to keep the pile upright and thanking God that there was no strong wind that day.

"Homework" replied Maria with a small laugh. "Frau Innes, the music teacher that I will be interning under, asked me to begin my lesson plans , so I need to pick music from the curriculum, create theory worksheets…that kind of thing."

"Sounds like you'll busy for the next week and a bit!"

"Honestly I think if I work in the evenings after the children are asleep I'll be able to get it all done - it doesn't look that bad, and Frau Innes gave me her old lesson plans to work from."

The Captain placed the pile in the trunk, thanking Friedrich for opening it for him, then scuttled around the side of the car to open the passenger door for Maria, before returning to the driver's seat.

Maria knew better than to ask what Louisa and the Captain had been arguing about – they seemed to have calmed down now, and she wasn't about to start up the war again.

Once they were back at home, the Captain disappeared with the books and papers, promising Maria he had the perfect place to keep them. She hurried the children to prepare for dinner, listening to Gretl's in-depth explanation of each pencil, notebook, and eraser that she had gotten for her first day of school.

The evening passed without incident, and Maria was surprised when bedtime came and everybody, including the older children, crawled into their beds without complaints, the older ones opening their books while the younger snuggled in tight.

Maria and the Captain tucked them in together, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The clicking of the boy's door sent a shiver up Maria's spine as she realized that she and the Captain were alone together for the first time all day. With memories of the previous night fresh in her mind, she allowed the Captain to take her hand in his, and followed when he whispered "Come – I have something to show you."

Hand-in-hand, they descended the stairway and to Maria's surprise entered the Captain's study. She hadn't been in there since writing her paper, and was again welcomed by the deep-red mahogany wood-workings of the bookshelves and desks.

She sent him a questioning look, to which he smiled and touched the side of the tip of is nose with his index finger – a 'just wait' gesture.

He led her towards the back of the study, and pushed aside a large burgundy curtain that ran the entire length of the wall. Maria had seen it many times, always assuming it was purely covering a large window so the old books wouldn't fade. To her surprise, here was a door behind the heavy fabric.

Taking his time the Captain tied back the curtain on either side of the door with a heavy sash, then opened the door and gestured for Maria to enter before him.

When he turned on the lights, Maria was surprised to find another study, very similar to colour and design to the other one, except there were only a few books on the shelves.

She walked closer, and realized the books there were the ones that she had brought home earlier that day.

She turned from the bookshelf to see the Captain smiling at her.

"What is this?" she asked, gesturing to the room.

"This is your study."

"What?"

"Your study Maria, do try to keep up." The Captain was laughing, but Maria continued to just stare at him. "I don't know if anyone ever mentioned it to you, but I designed this villa myself. While Agathe was ill, I needed something to occupy my time – the military had given me time off to spend with her even though she slept almost constantly – so I hired an architect to work with me and design this home. After she died, the plans were already finalized, and I rushed to have it built so I could get out of the other house, too full of memories, as soon as possible."

"Georg I had no idea – the house is stunning."

"Well I had a lot of help, but thank you. Anyways, as I instructed we planned out my study, but there was this little bit of space in the corner of the house that remained unoccupied. We discussed making my study larger to fill the space, but I was worried it would take away from the intimate feeling. So I finally told them to make a smaller study, that with time there would be somebody to use it. Quite honestly I always figured it would remain a storage space. But you see Maria, you had a place in this home before you had ever been inside."

Maria's eyes were beginning to mist over.

"As soon as you agreed to stay here past the end of the summer I've had renovators coming in to fix the room up and to furnish it – I would have liked to have had it ready for you to work in while you were writing your paper, but we had some electrical issues."

"How did they get in and out without me noticing?" Maria asked.

"You are not the only one in this house who can be sneaky when required mein liebling" the Captain responded, the unplanned term of endearment not lost on either one of them.

The Captain cleared his throat before continuing "In the top drawer of your desk you'll find two different keys – one is to lock the filing cabinet, and the other to lock the room itself. The children already have strict instructions never to come into my study without permission so I would imagine that they won't discover yours hidden away in here. I apologize that you have to walk through my study to get to and from the rest of the house – I had hoped to put in a hallway, but the architect said that to do so we'd have to rip some of the siding off of the house. I didn't think I could hide that from you quite as well. You are, of course, welcome to pass through my study at any time. If I am there your company is always welcome, and if I'm not feel free to use any books or papers that you need."

"Georg I don't know what to say…this is really too much."

Maria didn't know when her hand moved to rest on his shoulder, but it was at that moment that she felt the smoothness of the grey silk that she had been imagining all day. She was so absorbed in running smooth material through her fingers that she did not see his hand move, only felt it on her cheek.

"Not for you" he spoke in his lowest tone.

Maria had thought she had analyzed their first kiss from every angle – that she had remembered every reaction her body had to his presence, every emotion that had flooded through her- but when his lips found hers, she had a couple seconds of pure shock at the intensity of their connection before her mind turned off.

Her stomach leapt to her heart when she felt his arm wrap around her waist while the other hand moved to tangle in her hair. Warmth coursed from her core through her veins down her arms and legs, and she shivered and allowed herself to become lost in him. She could feel his warm breath mixing with hers as he continued to kiss the sides of her lips until she felt like she would burst and she captured his with hers.

The Captain, feeling her small frame give an involuntary jerk, pulled her closer into his chest and kissed along her jawline towards her neck, relishing her floral scent and her soft skin against his lips. His heart leapt in his chest when he felt her shudder again.

Pulling away caused him physical pain, but he was rewarded when her eyes fluttered open and met his. He knew how easy it would be to lose control even by just holding Maria, yet he was determined to move slowly. If he scared her away, he would never forgive himself.

"Wha-?" Maria asked as her mind again took control, registering the bright eyes and genuine grin spreading across the face only inches from hers.

"You're beautiful" Georg smiled down at her, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"You taste like honey" she noticed, and then promptly turned red as she registered what she had said, a hand unconsciously covering her mouth as her eyes widened "I mean-" she began through her fingers, but the Captain gently took that hand in his own, and moved it away from her mouth, laughing loudly before he kissed her fingertips.

"Marta and I were having apples and honey as a bedtime snack – probably not the healthiest, but it's her favourite treat."

"Apples and honey?"

"Haven't you tried it?"

Maria shook her head and wrinkled her nose. It sounded like a strange combination.

"Well that is just unacceptable!" his tone was light, though Maria could hear the strain in his voice and she was thankful he had been strong enough to break their moment before it had escalated much further. She wasn't ready for anything else. Not yet.

The Captain wrapped one arm around Maria's waist and guided her towards the kitchen, his hand stroking her side.

The bright lights reflecting off of the appliances were painful to their eyes after the subtle lighting of the study, but the Captain wasted no time in finding two large apples from the fridge. Maria picked up a knife to help cut, but the Captain took it away from her.

"This is my signature dish, and I do not share my recipes with just anyone" he laughed as he removed the core from the apple and began to slice it onto a place.

Maria jumped up so she was sitting on the countertop, something she was quite sure any one of the children would be yelled at for doing but there was a certain pleasure associated with sitting up high with dangling legs that cannot be denied.

"Bon appetite" the Captain handed her a plate filled with apple slices and a puddle of thick honey and without hesitation slid on the counter beside her with his own dish.

"Why did you get more honey than me?" Maria asked as she examined the two plates, crunching into one of the pieces of apple and delighting as the sweet taste filled her mouth.

"Because you're sweet enough already" the Captain responded. There was a pause as they looked at each other, and they both burst into peals of laughter.

"That has to be the most awful line" Maria almost choked in her struggle to speak, swallow and laugh at the same time. "Please don't tell me you prepared all this just to say that!"

"No, that was an unforeseen bonus"

"Well I must agree that this is terribly delicious" Maria took a large dollop of honey on a tiny piece of apple and plopped it in her mouth.

Instead of reaching for his own plate, the Captain moved to dip the piece of apple he still had in his hand in Maria's honey.

Maria batted his hand away and tried to speak, but her mouth was too full and all that came out was garbled nonsense.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Did you say that I have too little honey on my apple?" the Captain was grinning like a schoolboy. He moved the apple towards his mouth, taking almost too much pleasure in a Maria that could not talk, when he felt her cool fingers around his wrist.

Before his mind could respond, he felt her lips close around his fingertips momentarily. In shock the muscles relaxed, and then her lips were gone…with the piece of apple.

"No, that was about the right amount of honey" she replied cheekily, taking great delight in the dumbfounded Captain. She had no idea what effect she had elicited.

"You ate my apple!" he tried to recover some of his dignity though his heart was beating wildly and he felt a little dizzy.

"You ate my honey"

"No, I didn't, because it was on my apple that you ate!"

Maria laughed again at the ridiculousness of the conversation.

"Just take one of mine and we'll call it even?"

The Captain consented, and took a slice of apple from her plate.

"I'm afraid I'm out of honey though…" she realized looking at the bowl. From that angle, the Captain noticed something glistening on her cheek and he smiled to himself.

"No problem" he assured, taking a bite from the apple slice and after swallowing, gently kissed her cheek, moving the sticky substance onto his lips.

"Now who tastes like honey?" he joked.

Maria was completely and utterly frozen in place. The feeling of his lips and tongue on her cheek…

"Maria, are you alright? You look like you're going to faint" the Captain asked, worried. Her face had suddenly gone very red and she was swaying.

"I must be tired" she lied. There was not a great enough power in the world that would convince her to explain the overwhelming feeling of desire that was coursing through her body, lighting every nerve ending on fire, and causing her eyes to come in and go out of focus.

As the two ascended the stairs, Georg kept a close eye on Maria. He was not as innocent as she, and could see through her act. The look in her eye when he had pulled away, the way her hand trembled in his, the way her cheeks reddened when their eyes met…

And all this gave him reason to hope that which he had been worrying all day – that a beautiful and talented young governess might fall in love a retired sea captain.

* * *

After the Captain and Maria left their room, Friedrich scuttled over and pressed his ear against the door, listening as they descended the staircase. When he was certain they were not returning, he turned to Kurt who was still up reading in his bed.

"The coast is clear".

Together the two boys made their way to their older sisters' room and knocked the code that they had devised many years ago.

"Have they gone to bed?"

"Liesl, only Marta and Gretl go to sleep at this hour – even we're allowed to stay up and read. No, they went downstairs and from the clicking noise I'd guess Father's in his study."

"Poor fraulein Maria sitting alone in the living room with a book or guitar" Liesl agreed. "I wish I could go down and spend some time with her – she must be terribly lonely."

"I'm sure that she would love the company, but you know Father would be furious when he'd find you, and then he and fraulein Maria would get in an argument…and well we need them on good terms for tomorrow!"

"Right, so down to business. Louisa did you get the-"

"Yes of course, but now Gretl keeps asking why I lied about her needing to use the washroom, and I'm worried Father or fraulein Maria will hear."

"Well we just need to keep her quiet until tomorrow, so I think we're safe. Speaking of which, did you remember to tell her what to do tomorrow?"

"She has no idea what's going on, but seemed excited to help in our plans."

"Give her a few years and we'll have to recruit her into these meetings."

"Friedrich, did you find the game?"

"While Father and Kurt were searching for something or other-"

"I told Father I needed pink highliters after checking to make sure they only had yellow"

"-yes very conniving, the Academy Award for _supporting_ actor can go to you, but as I was saying I slipped away to the book department and found the instruction manual with the used books. Somebody owes me five Schillinge."

"Consider it a donation to a very worthwhile cause."

"If I've paid by debt to this society, does that mean I don't have to get up at such a God-awful hour tomorrow?"

"Absolutely… as long as you can convince somebody else to do your job."

"Louisa you wouldn't be interested in-"

"You've got to be kidding. I have my own job to do. If I have to get up, so do you."

"So we're all clear on when and where we're meeting?"

"Hey Louie, if I slept somewhere else tonight, is there any chance Liesl and Brigitta here wouldn't find me in the morning?"

"This was your idea Friedrich"

"No, the Jane Eyre thing was mine, not the waking up thing."

"I'm sure you'll get over it"

"Project 'Fraulein Maria Appreciation Day' here we go."


	58. Chapter 58

"Project 'Fraulein Maria Appreciation Day' here we go."

_Chapter Fifty-Eight_

Maria was dreaming of pancakes. Stacks and stacks piled as high as the eye can see. Suddenly a cascade of syrup falls from the top of the stack, and droplets land all over her face. Her eyes are searching for Georg to lick it off – where did he go? He had just been there a moment ago… She sees him smiling at her from one of the higher pancakes, and she begins to climb up as he calls to her 'come on!". But the syrup has made the pancakes slippery, and she loses her footing and falls backwards…

With a jerk Maria woke, only to hear the same call of 'come on!' only this time it was a female voice. Louisa, if she was not mistaken. Another reminder of her dream, Maria was confused by the smell of pancakes that lingered in the air. It was Friday, a weekday, so breakfast should have been eggs, toast, and fruit or cereal.

The tap on her down was quiet and physically low on the wood, and momentarily disappointed Maria when she recognized that the knocking hand did not belong to the Captain.

"Come in" she called, believing Gretl or Marta to be at the door; however, to her surprise, seven bright faces wished her a good morning when Marta pushed the door open.

Even more surprising was the contents of their hands – all seven carried trays piled high with platters of food: pancakes with syrup and fruit, eggs scrambled with cheese, crispy bacon, shredded potatoes with chives, raisin toast with cinnamon and brown sugar, and a large pitcher of orange juice.

"What is all this?" she gasped, taking in all the food.

"Exactly what I was going to ask" came the familiar deep voice from her doorway, causing blood to rise immediately to Maria's cheeks. "When Marta asked me to come to your room in five minutes, I assumed that you wanted to speak to me about getting more material for play-clothes. Where did all this come from?"

"We wanted to make Fraulein Maria breakfast in bed" Kurt explained, taking a seat in the chair by the window. The other children followed suite, making themselves comfortable around the room as they explained.

"You've done so much for us this summer – working through our lessons with us, taking us on field trips, teaching us to sing…and we're so excited you're going to be our teacher at school too!" said Brigitta.

"We just wanted to thank you, to congratulate you, and to let you know how much we all love you" Liesl explained, taking her governess's hand in her own.

Maria's eyes were tearing up.

"I am so blessed to know every one of you – you are my family and I love you all dearly. Thank you – this must have taken you hours."

"Oh and we invited Father because he gets grouchy if he doesn't eat breakfast" Kurt added casually as everyone began to fill their plates.

"I should make you do all the dishes for that comment Kurt, but these eggs have put me in too good a mood" the Captain joked and the children all laughed.

"Everything is wonderful – you must have been up before the sun to get this all prepared."

"I'm not sure that the moon was even fully up yet…" Louisa mumbled under her breath, but a swift elbow in her ribs accompanied by Brigitta's signature glare silenced her before she could repeat the comment at an audible volume.

The Captain watched with great interest as his children interacted with their governess – they all were now sitting on the bed with her, laughing at what must have been inside jokes (as there was nothing funny about blowing one's nose during dessert!), hitting each other with a pillow if somebody said something silly…

Bof!

The Captain was so startled when a pillow swung by his youngest son hit him square across the back, sending him belly-flopping into the pile of blankets and pillows that were now lumped in a pile on Maria's bed.

He lay face down in the white sheets completely still for a moment, partially out of surprise (he had become so accustomed to acting as an observer to his family's interactions he still at times did not expect them to recognize his presence) and partially because the overwhelming scent of Maria was blissfully around him. He could see glimpses of her bare ankles and shins between the covers, and the realization that she still was not dressed almost caused him to moan out loud.

"Two points to Kurt" he heard Liesl laugh. "Our newest contestant in this battle!"

When a second pillow hit him on the back of the head, he was both frustrated at leaving the haven he had found, and grateful for the distraction. Clearly he was not the only adult in the room that was being pummelled as the feet he had seen were moving and by the time he rightened himself, she was kneeling on the bed tickling a Gretl and Kurt, both who were screaming for mercy. Brigitta Friedrich, and Louisa had taken it upon themselves to attack their father, and were knocking him, and each other, incessantly with pillows on the verge of bursting. Liesl sat on the chair at the window with Marta in her arms, shaking her head with a grin on her face.

The Captain was about to smother his three troublemakers with Maria's duvet, but stopped mid-swing at the sight of the governess, wearing only her nightgown, stand fully up on the bed to escape his children's clutches.

Dressed only in white, with the morning sun reflecting off her hair, she looked just like an angel. Well, an angel that was furiously beating children with a pillow. A pillow fight with the most gorgeous woman in the world – it was every man's fantasy.

And then her pillow hit him over the head.

And that meant war.

Fifteen minutes later the Captain, all seven children, and Maria were sprawled across her bed, gasping for air. Not one of them had been spared from the "Great Feather Blizzard", and soft whiteness clung to their hair and clothing.

Each time one tried to sit up, the sight of disarray was enough to cause a cacophony of laughter, resulting in another collapse on the bed.

The Captain turned his head so he could see Maria lying beside him staring at the ceiling, her cheeks red and tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard.

Maria could feel his gaze, and like magnetism her head turned to meet his eyes. They were both already smiling but for Maria the rest of the room blurred slightly so that his face was the only thing in focus. She could feel her heart beating loudly at the base of her throat and her last remaining thoughts forced herself against the only instinct she felt, tightening her neck and shoulder muscles to keep herself from moving towards him.

The strain was clear on the Captain's face as well, and Maria audibly sighed in disappointment when his eyes left hers; however, she was slightly appeased when his fingers found hers.

Like a wave washing over the sand, feelings of belonging and purpose lapped over Maria as he was lying side-by-side and hand-in-hand with the Captain, surrounded by the giggling children. She felt a thumb tracing small circles on the skin connecting her thumb to the rest of her hand, and she tightened her grip in the slightest.

All too soon the children began to sit up and gather the dishes that were scattered around the room. As discretely as she could, Maria took her hand out of the Captain's, trying her best to ignore the feeling of loss.

"So what would you children like to do today?" she asked, sitting up and pulling the duvet up under her chin, all of a sudden acutely aware that she was still in her nightclothes that was not lined as properly as a dress should be, and that the Captain's eyes were not leaving her.

The children all exchanged a glance before Louisa replied.

"Today is your day, fraulein Maria. What would you like to do?"

Maria was surprised when the other children all nodded without anybody contesting the idea. It gave her the slight suspicion that this had been decided beforehand which, considering the breakfast they had all prepared, was highly probable.

"No, no darlings you only have a few days of summer vacation left."

"Fraulein Maria, we insist," said Brigitta, leaning against the headboard with her arms filled with dishes.

Maria did not have to think – the sun was already shining brightly with no signs of rain.

"What about a picnic in the mountains?" Maria asked, earning eight grins.

"We were hoping you would say that!" Friedrich laughed. "The picnic basket is already packed and waiting for us in the kitchen!"

Maria laughed along with him. "You children know me much too well! Well let's go!" She jumped out of bed and headed for the door, but was stopped by a large hand encircling her wrist.

"Maria, your clothing choice may keep you cool in the heat, but I'm afraid it may turn some unwanted heads" he raised his eyebrows wryly at the young woman.

Maria looked down the nightgown that she had altered since the summer heat had began – she had cut off the long sleeves she had sported at the beginning of the summer so that the entire gown was held up by thick straps, and the bottom ended at knee level. Her face turned even more red, if that was possible.

"Give me ten minutes?" she asked weakly.

"You have seven – then we're going to celebrate Maria-Day without you" he joked. The children looked at each other in surprise at his naming the day the same as they had, but their intentions were obvious enough that no one dwelled on the point.

The children filtered out of the room with the dishes from their breakfast. Hearing their feet on the staircase, the Captain paused in the doorway, then turned back to Maria who was still standing beside the bed.

"You are beautiful when you blush" he spoke quietly, running his hands over the top of her head to calm the static the pillow-fight had caused before leaning in and kissing her softly. "See you downstairs."

* * *

It took Maria four of the seven minutes that she had to calm herself down and stop her hands from shaking before she was able to change into her dress for the day and running a brush through her hair.

Despite the delay, exactly six minutes and 52 seconds later Maria jumped off the third from last stair, announcing loudly "with 8 seconds to spare!"

The entire family was waiting in the front foyer, divvying up the baskets and bags.

"If you were on my ship, I'd give you an extra helping of bangers and mash," the Captain joked.

"Which one is mine?" she asked, approaching the group and gesturing to the bags.

Liesl pushed her youngest sister towards Maria.

"This one" she laughed, as Gretl stuck her tongue out.

"I want to walk with Fraulein Maria and Father" she whined.

"I don't see why that would be a problem – the rest of us can carry the bags." Friedrich agreed, leading his siblings out the door before the Captain could intervene. Gretl's comment hadn't been scripted, but it seemed like a good idea to him.

Gretl stood between her two parent figures and held out her hands expectantly. Trying to suppress a grin, Maria took one of the small hands, thankful that it was not sticky, and the Captain the other as they followed the children.

By this point the children had been to the mountain so many times that they no longer needed Maria to guide them through the forests and across the little stream, her 'shortcut', so they left the two adults and Gretl at the end of their group, usually five or six paces behind as Gretl had difficulty keeping up but refused to be carried.

As they walked, every so often Maria and the Captain would exchange a look then out loud begin to count. Gretl's eyes would brighten and her arm muscles tense, as when they got to three, the two adults would lift her high in the air so that her legs could swing and she would squeal.

Their walk was filled with Gretl's playful chatter that became more and more animated as the two adults actively asked questions and prompted her dialogue. Needless to say, Maria and the Captain shared many mirthful smiles as the youngest von Trapp child told her view of the world and her anticipation of what school would be like.

Neither had the heart to tell her that, though school supposedly taught you what you needed to know to "be whatever you want", it would not be able to prepare her for a career as a unicorn-riding fairy princess.

They arrived at the mountain when the sun was high in the sky, and laid out their blankets in the shade of the forest where Marta months ago had led their nature hike.

Despite the long walk, the large breakfast had filled everybody up, so it was decided to have a late lunch. The children were filled with energy, so Maria suggested they play a game.

"What kind of game?" asked Marta with her characteristic wide eyes that resembled so much the Captain's.

"What about sardines?" Maria suggested, knowing that it was not a game that the children had played before. They had forgotten to bring a ball or Frisbee, so the options were limited.

"Those smelly fish that come in a tin can?" Brigitta asked in confusion, sending up a silent prayer that fraulein Maria's wish would not be to make a meal of those disgusting little creatures.

"It's a game, like hide-and-go-seek but only backwards." Maria explained. "If, for example, Friedrich was it, the rest of us would close our eyes and count while he would run and hide somewhere. Then we'd all try to find him. If, for example, Louisa found him right away, she would have to hide with him, and every time somebody else finds the group, they would have to hide there as well, until there is only one person left searching and then the game starts again."

"That's a strange game," Kurt noted, but Maria could detect some excitement in his voice.

"The best part is when there's a huge group of people all trying to hide in a very small space" she smiled.

"Would you like to be 'it' first, fraulein Maria?" Marta asked, and was delighted when her siblings sent her a subtle thumbs-up.

"That would be wonderful" Maria agreed.

"You have until the count of 30" Liesl warned, closing her eyes.

"At least it's longer than seven…" Maria grumbled as she took off, smiling to herself as she heard the Captain snickering.

Her eyes roamed the forest – she knew she could completely disappear in this forest if she needed to, having done it in the past many times, but she did not want to make it too difficult for the children, so instead found a large tree and, with a finesse only earned by years of practice, scaled to the top. She reached one of the higher branches by the count of 20, and allowed herself to relax into the bend of the tree.

Shrieks and giggles alerted her that the children were searching, so she quieted her breathing and tucked in her legs.

She did not have to wait long until a slight shaking of the tree alerted her that someone was climbing up, and was not surprised when she opened her eyes from the cat-nap she had been taking and found in was Georg.

"Climbing trees – why am I not surprised?" A pointed look.

"From the way you scaled up that trunk, I have to assume that you've climbed a few in your day as well" she said as she watched him nimbly move from branch to branch towards where she was seated.

"I suppose I too was a 'local urchin' in my time" he teased back.

"In your time? Why Georg I do believe you're in a tree right now…

"Only so I can do this…" he finally arrived at the branch just below hers and, standing on it while she remained seated, their heights were perfectly level. He kissed her playfully on the nose, wishing desperately he could release the branch and take her in his arms instead, but not daring to tempt Fate.

Maria, however, had full usage of her hands, and with delicate strokes traced along his cheekbones down to his jaw line and back up to his lips. She ran the pad of her thumb over them, smiling when he kissed her fingers, then leaned across and, careful not to apply enough pressure to cause him to lose balance, kissed him fully on her own accord for the first time. When he responded, the feeling of extreme power course through her and she had to laugh out loud to release some of the energy.

Her laughter must have been enough to alert at least some of the other children to her position, as the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. The Captain rested his forehead on Maria's momentarily before pulling back, winking at her, and curling up on his own branch.

Slowly one-by-one six children gathered in the branches of the tree, always staying on the branches closer to the ground than their governess or father, until Friedrich was the last one searching.

He was deemed 'it' for the next round, and so the morning and early afternoon progressed.

By 2:00 according to the Captain's watch stomachs began to grumble and mumble, so the game was ended and lunch set out. The children slowly began to drift off after eating; getting up before the sun to make breakfast took its toll on the person. Soon only Louisa, Friedrich and Liesl were left awake.

"Father, we brought something for you" Liesl said, reaching into the basket that she had been carrying and pulled out what appeared to be two notebooks and a laminated piece of paper. "I don't know if it's something fraulein Maria would like to play, but we remembered how much you used to love it…"

"Broadsides?" the Captain asked with what Maria could only describe as child-like excitement.

"The Game of Naval Strategy" Friedrich intoned in a bored voice, as though he had heard about this game one time too many.

"Why they can't just call it something simple like 'Battleship' baffles me" Louisa was rolling her eyes.

"I thought you children loved this game" the Captain asked, surprised at the children's response.

"Father, we only loved it because you did."

"I can't believe you found it – we haven't played this in years!"

"We thought that maybe you and fraulein Maria might like to play?"

"We're kind of hoping that you'll at least find it tolerable, fraulein Maria, so that you can play it with father from time to time instead of us" Louisa continued. In truth the children didn't mind the game that much, in moderation it was actually a lot of fun, but they needed Maria to be the one having fun that day.

"What is it?" Maria asked with curiosity, wondering what game could possibly get the Captain so excited.

"It's played on these grid papers" the Captain began, opening the notebook so Maria could see four grids on each page. "On one grid we arrange our 'boats' – there are different types of boats that all have a different number of squares that they occupy…that's all on this instruction sheet. We have to try to guess where the other person has their boats by guessing squares of the grid by their coordinates – that's what the other grids are for. If you hit all the squares that house a single boat, it's like the boat sinks and the last person with a boat still afloat wins."

"Well I certainly see why you would find this so appealing" Maria was trying to contain her laughter as she got a glimpse of what the Captain must have been like as a young boy.

Maria turned to the children to make sure that they didn't want to play, but all three were already engrossed in books they had brought along.

Following his instructions, Maria carefully placed her boats on the grid, and the game began.

The following hour passed quickly as they played through four rounds, the Captain winning the first two and Maria the second two. She was getting the hang of the game, and there was an unspoken competition for who could make the most original pattern out of the different 'boats'.

"Best out of five? Winner gets the last cookie that I saw hidden in the corner of the picnic basket?" the Captain challenged, and Maria readily accepted.

At the same time both turned the page of their notebook, and looked in their respective laps as a small thick piece of paper fluttered out. Liesl had to hide her grin, and Louisa chortled out loud as the pair gasped simultaneously, reading what was written.

"Children…what's this?" Maria barely breathed, noticing for the first time that all seven of them were awake and watching them in anticipation. She could not believe what she was reading on the small piece of paper.

"It's a gift, so you have to take it" Louisa chose her words carefully, knowing that Maria's first instinct would be to refuse to accept it, insisting they return it for a refund.

"A gift for what?" she asked aloud, sensing that the Captain was as shocked as she was by his dumbfounded expression.

"Like Liesl said this morning – a thank you and a congratulations." Friedrich intervened.

"But that's what breakfast was…" Maria trailed off, not knowing what to say. "This must have cost you all a fortune."

"Not really – we divided it seven ways" Louisa shrugged. Maria's eyes returned to the paper to re-read the typed text.

"And I get one too?" the Captain asked specifically Brigitta, sensing she knew the most about what was going on even though she was saying the least.

"Well we couldn't very well have fraulein Maria going by herself" Liesl reasoned for her younger sister.

"They might discover her and keep her as their own!" Friedrich agreed.

"I honestly don't know what to say – thank you all so much. Where did you ever come up with this idea?" Maria asked, having memorized the text from reading it so many times.

"We thought that…well, if it wasn't for us you would have been there tonight…" Brigitta finally spoke

"Brigitta I would choose to be here any day" Maria spoke truthfully.

"We all thought that if you can't perform in it, you should at least watch the final ceremony of the Salzburg Music Festival."


	59. Chapter 59

**A/N: First, I have to apologize for not posting in a while. Yesterday I wrote my ****last**** final of medicine, and starting in January I'll be a clerk! (it's like an intern...you rotate through different departments and whatnot.) But back to Austria here...so in this chapter there is some explaining about Max's past. I wanted to show that Max is not inherently 'bad', something I thought was important for Maria to understand. Everyone has a story that makes whatever seemingly awful or hurtful decision they make, make more sense. So without further ado...**

_Chapter Fifty-Nine_

The group left the mountain much earlier than normal so that Maria and the Captain would have time to prepare for the concert that night. Though normally festival competitions were not terribly formal, the final ceremony was one of Salzburg's biggest nights and formal attire was a must.

Maria's concerns were quickly silenced by Liesl's offer to borrow one of her dresses. In true Austrian spirit, Liesl chose a floor-length dress in deep red for her governess that slit open down the side of the skirt to reveal a white under-skirt. The A-lined dress hugged Maria's curves more tightly than she was accustomed to and it was held up by only thin straps, but the heavy fabric made her feel like she was enveloped in a warm cocoon.

Though Maria normally avoided bright colours, the red's richness was breathtaking, and Liesl was pleased to see it bring out the strawberry streaks in the woman's hair. Maria refused Liesl's offer to apply makeup, stating that the dress was plenty.

Clearly the Captain agreed when Maria met him at the bottom of the stairwell. Goosebumps sprang up on his arms under the suit jacket and only when his eyes began to feel dry and his head light did he remember the need to blink and breathe. She was breathtaking, dressed in the colours of the country he had risked his life to protect.

"You look stunning" he managed to say.

The crackled tone of his voice was not lost on Maria, but the vision that was Georg von Trapp in a tuxedo was slowing her mental faculties. He looked younger than the last time she had seen him dressed up, his hair not slicked back and no worry lines creasing his face. The classical tuxedo had been altered somewhat so that his bowtie was a red the same colour as her dress, suggesting to Maria that even these small details had been chosen by the children in advance.

"As do you" she responded quietly, accepting the arm that he offered. The children were supposedly in the study, as goodbyes had already been said, but peeping eyes were watching the two parent-figures very carefully from behind partially closed doors, silently high-fiving each other at the comments spoken and the looks given.

Maria was surprised to find the car already waiting in front of the house with Franz in the driver's seat. She had been wondering what exactly was Franz's job, as it seemed like the Captain was always behind the wheel.

As if he could read her thoughts, the Captain said in a voice so low only she could hear him "so we don't have to worry about finding a parking spot or risking giving keys to those young valets that are more interested in showing off shiny vehicles to their girlfriends than making sure my youngest baby doesn't get scratched."

With a nod she slid into the backseat and was surprised when Georg took the seat next to hers rather than sitting up front with Franz.

As the car pulled out of the driveway, Maria asked, cognizant that Franz could hear their conversation, "Captain, what exactly are we going to be seeing tonight?"

The Captain looked at her in astonishment for a moment.

"You were that excited without knowing what you're going to?" Georg's tone was not accusing, but filled with surprise.

"Well I knew it was part of the Salzburg Festival, but that includes all kinds of musical performances. And the tickets mentioned that tonight is the closing night…"

"The festival this year is closing with Mozart's _The Marriage of Figaro._ Before the opera commences there will be performances by the winners of the major competitions – soloists, pianists, and choral groups- and after the opera awards will be handed out.

But Maria's mind had tuned out everything the Captain had said after "Mozart's _The Marriage of Figaro_".

"Mozart's most astounding opera" she breathed in disbelief.

The Captain suddenly remembered Maria's reaction in Mozart's house so long ago and he was overwhelmed with a desire to smother each of his children in hugs and kisses – they had found the best gift they could ever give their governess. He knew Maria had no idea, but tickets for an event like this were not cheap – he made a mental note to give them in a hefty 'good behavior bonus' on their next allowance.

Maria didn't even notice that Georg was holding her hand until she felt a fingers being slightly squeezed.

"We're here, beautiful" he spoke softly enough that Franz could not hear, but his words were resoundingly loud to Maria.

She watched him get out when Franz opened the door, and much to her surprise when her door opened he was waiting, offering her a hand. Once she was standing, he did not let go of her hand, rather wrapped her arm through his and murmured to Franz that he should return home as the show would be long, and that he would give the man a call when the car was again required.

Maria allowed Georg to guide her through the crowds, marveling at the beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry surrounding her. Naturally she did not notice the appreciative and envious looks that she was receiving everywhere she turned.

Maria was therefore surprised when she felt the Captain's arm pulling her closer to his side. Her first reaction, faced with such a large crowd was to pull away from him, to maintain the image of a kindhearted employer treating an employee to a night at the opera. As soon as she thought of this, however, her mind bulked and criticized her for judging Georg so quickly. After all, he didn't care about social status. He wasn't Max.

As they made their way through the gathering crowd the Captain spoke softly so only Maria could hear him, telling her anecdotes about the people that they passed. Maria was thankful she had declined the makeup offer, as mascara would have been running down her face mixed in the tears from her laughter.

Any effort they may have made to appear as in an employer-employee relationship was entirely in vain. The many women who had long considered Captain von Trapp to be one of Salzburg's most eligible bachelor watched with jealously at the expression on his face every time his eyes returned to the blonde he held so close to him.

The ripples the Captain had made in the waters of society by running through the city with melting ice cream were nothing compared with the waves this new revelation, combined with the sudden departure of Elsa and Max.

"Georg, they're staring at us" Maria whispered just loud enough for his ears. "I feel like Moses parting the Red Sea." Indeed everyone was stopping whatever they had been doing as they passed, causing a brief silence then rapid chatter as they passed.

"It was to be expected" Georg answered grimly. "I'm afraid us being together at an event like this may be considered somewhat of a major scandal, especially with Elsa's sudden departure."

Maria's heart fell through the stone floor beneath her. It was precisely what she had been worried about ever since she realized she loved this man beside her. She didn't belong here, on the arm of one of the most sought-after men in Salzburg.

"Maria"

The young governess heard her name from his lips before she felt him stop moving.

"Let them talk. Let them question. Let them sneer, gossip, speculate…I don't care. Whenever you're with me, they disappear. The children and you; that is my world. I want to be with you."

Joy lit up Maria's face as she gripped his arm tighter.

"What did I do to become so lucky to find you?" she whispered to herself.

The couple followed an usher to the seats that the children had chosen for them. Much to both of their surprise, they were seated front-row balcony of the large amphitheater, the best seats in the theater. The Captain couldn't imagine where the children had gotten enough money – it would be almost three months allowance from each of them to afford these! Their 'good behavior bonus' was steadily increasing.

Before sitting, Maria approached the balcony and looked out into the open-air theater, watching the patches of coloured dresses contrasting with the stony walls. Above her the stars were just beginning to emerge, as the show was schedule to begin right after sunset.

"Captain von Trapp?" an older female voice caught Maria's attention, and she turned to determine why it sounded vaguely familiar.

"Ah Guten Abend Anita – it has been too long" the Captain responded before Maria could see who he was talking to. The man shifted his weight to the other leg, unblocking her view, and it suddenly became clear.

"Fraulein Maria? This is quite the surprise!"

"Frau Schiegl" Maria remembered her face at once – the one woman who had spoken to her at the Viennese ball. "It is wonderful to see you again."

The Captain was momentarily dumbfounded – he had been about to introduce the two, but clearly somebody had beat him to it.

"And you my dear. I heard that Max backed out of hosting and for the first time in years has no act in the show. Forgive me, but I am terribly curious how you convinced him to show up without some piece of the stoplight, and may I be of any assistance in the search for his hiding place? I would suggest we look at the bar downstairs first."

Maria blinked twice before understanding that this woman believed that she was here with Max.

"I'm afraid Max has returned to Vienna…to stay." She responded as diplomatically as possible, still reeling from the fact that she had never one paused to consider he might be present from this event. The event he had been training her for originally when her life was at a crossroads. How different things were now.

Frau Schiegl nodded quietly. "It is probably for the best. He can be filled with sweetness and charm, but too much sugar makes you sick. And heavens knows he's gotten enough sugar in his life…"

Maria didn't know what to say, so she wisely chose to keep her mouth closed. The implication was not lost on her, but she thought better than to confirm the reason for their separation.

Frau Schiegl turned to the Captain.

"Have you heard from Elsa since she left?" The entire city and many in Vienna and Innsbruck knew about the Baroness's intentions with the sea captain and her quick departure from the villa the night of the party. Rumours had been circling faster than honeybees in a flower garden.

"No, I'm certain that she has found other…things…to keep her occupied" the Captain spoke wryly.

The older woman placed a comforting hand on the Captain's shoulder.

"You deserve every happiness, my boy, and now I can finally assure you that you will find it..."

There was something passing between the older woman and the Captain that Maria couldn't exactly follow, just as there had been that night back in Vienna between Frau Schiegl and Max. The vibe was, however, entirely different.

"…or perhaps you already have?"

The Captain genuinely grinned, a smile that Maria had only seen directed at herself and the children. She was surprised to see some colour developing in the Captain's cheeks at the older woman's implications. He caught her eye as she watched his expression, and they both quickly lowered their gazes. Maria was sure her own were the same colour as the dress she wore.

"It is good to see your smile, good to see the gleam in your eyes again."

It was the sly grin on the woman's face that made the Captain realizes he had at some point taken Maria's hand and was running his thumbs over the ends of her short nails.

Maria's face was still red when the two women's eyes met.

"**_He_** recognizes it." Frau Schiegl spoke slowly, allowing Maria's foggy memory of that night work overtime to try to suss out her meaning. "And darling? He will never forget it."

_Max, take care and I pray that you recognize the rarity and value of what you have._

"I know I do recognize it." She responded in the quiet tone that their conversation had taken, while the Captain watched them both with utter confusion.

"A pure heart, uncomplicated intentions, interests that span beyond the realms of high society, and just a touch of innocent mischief." The woman echoed, looking straight at the Captain.

"I don't know how you know each other, but she certainly knows you well Maria" said Georg, entering back into the conversation, suddenly confused as the older woman's smile grew even larger at his words and Maria began to shuffle her feet uncomfortably.

Frau Schiegl was about to respond when the lights flickered, signaling the show was about to start.

"Maria, Georg, I am so happy to have run into _both_ of you."

"And you as well Frau Schiegl" Maria responded, accepting the hug offered to her by the woman.

"Please do come by the villa sometime to see the children" the Captain offered. "Our door is always open to you." He kissed the woman on both cheeks and then she was gone.

Because they were on the balcony, the seats were larger than on the main floor, giving the Captain and Maria some privacy so long as they squished together near the middle.

"How do you know Frau Schiegl?" the Captain asked, sitting as close to her as he could so he wouldn't disturb his neighbour. Luckily audience members often did not arrive until the start of the opera itself, so the balcony was relatively empty.

"I met her when Max took me to that ball in Vienna" Maria whispered back, also sitting uncomfortably. "She was the only woman who spoke to me all night."

"Did Max speak to her as well?" the Captain asked with suspicions.

"Yes of course, although I don't believe they have a very good past"

"What did he tell you about her?"

"She's 'unable to see past the foolishness of his youth' I believe is how he worded it. I guess I remember it because it surprised me."

"Well that foolishness would be hard to see past, I'm afraid" said the Captain with a slight grimace. He hesitated slightly to tell Maria, but when could he ever keep anything from her?

As he predicted she would, she whispered "What happened?" as the award-candidates of the Salzburg festival came onto the stage, her voice almost lost in the applause.

She was completely oblivious that, had only a couple things months ago gone differently, she in all probability would have been on that stage accepting an award. Luckily for the Captain, the president of the festival stepped forward to deliver his customary speech, which was as dry as toast.

"Max wasn't always like he is now – immature and a bit of a womanizer" he cringed at the word, but Maria's expression didn't change so he continued. "He always knew how to have a good time, but when he was young he always had a clear sense of what was right or wrong. As children we used to pretend that we were King Arthur's knights of the round table, and would go off on quests in the name of goodness – mostly just tromping through my mother's garden actually but you understand my point."

"So what happened?" Maria asked, her full attention on the Captain. A part of her had always wondered why a man of such propriety and custom would associate with a free-spirited sponge like Max.

"When he was seventeen he fell in love with a girl named Heidi Schiebl."

"A relation of Frau Schiegl?"

"Her only daughter of five children. They went out together for the entire last two years of school, and because Max and I were always together, she quickly became one of my best friends as well. But that's beside the point. It was the year of our graduation, and Heidi and Max were already talking tentatively of marriage. The Great War was still in its early stages, and most of Europe was considered safe. The Easter holiday arrived, and as a graduation gift, Heidi's entire family were to travel to Paris, somewhere Heidi had always begged to visit. Two days before they were set to leave, Frau Schiegl was diagnosed with pneumonia and deemed unfit for travel. She begged her entire family to continue without her, and as she was good friends with my mother, she stayed with us for the holiday. I was there when she got the phone call on Easter Tuesday – a random attack in one of the squares. Her husband, Heidi's father, at the time was a Major General in the Austria-Hungry army, and French Intelligence must have labeled him as a high risk target; it was a young soldier who had seen them in the square and thought it wise to take out the target before he became a threat. The so-called sniper wasn't a good shot."

Maria's hand was shaking inside the Captain's grasp, and he held it tighter.

"Poor Frau Schiegl" she whispered "And the four boys?"

"They had been visiting friends that afternoon. The police found them and had them identify the two bodies."

"Wait, two?"

"After the soldier missed the first time, he kept shooting"

The Captain could see Maria's eyes were filling with tears, and he immediately felt bad for effectively ruining what was supposed to be a magical night for her.

"Maria I am so sorry, I shouldn't be telling you this…not now…" he trailed off as his heart was lost again in her unwavering gaze.

"Please, Georg"

The president had finished his speech and there was a soloist performance occurring, but Georg continued.

"Naturally Max had been at my place the day when the phone call came. Frau Schiegl had fainted at the news and Max, it seemed to me anyways, went into almost a comatose state. He did not speak, did not react. Three days later the boys' arrival back in town with the bodies was devastating. I had never seen desolation like Frau Schiegl's; I was too young when my father passed away to remember my mother's reaction. Max remained in silence, his face emotionless. My family had always been close to the Schiegls so we helped prepare the joint funeral, and sat with them in the front row of the church. Max didn't show up. It had been two weeks since Heidi's murder, and he never cried, never mourned, never reacted. When we walked out of the church he was sitting on the grass, and just watched us leave. Frau Schiegl knew of his intentions with her daughter, and seeing him alone, outside the chapel, I think hurt her more than she will ever admit now."

"He didn't go into Heidi's funeral?"

"No, just sat on the lawn out front. I tried to convince him to come to the graveyard afterwards, but he refused, just as he did when we tried to convince him to come to the reception. For two weeks afterwards he wouldn't talk to anybody – it was the longest I had ever gone without talking to Max. Even Frau Schiegl worried about him so much that she went to visit him at home, but he refused to see her. Everybody said that it was a coping mechanism and with time it would pass."

"Obviously it did"

The Captain nodded and paused while the singer hit a very high note before continuing. "A week after the funeral he asked out one of Heidi's good friends. That afternoon she came to talk to me, saying that she felt terrible agreeing to be with him so soon after Heidi's death, but she thought he might just need somebody to talk to that knew Heidi well. Within three days Max figured out her intentions and had moved on to the next girl with looser convictions. I don't think he has been alone since, yet hasn't been truly close to anyone he dates until he met you."

"That must have been devastating for Frau Schiegl" Maria finally understood the animosity she had witnessed between the two.

"She thought of Max like a son he had been at her place so often. Watching him walk down the street with a different girl each week, hearing the rumors circulating about him…she tried her best to stay close, inviting him over for meals, having her boys take him fishing, but he constantly refused. He wouldn't speak to her for nearly a year, not even a 'hi' on the street."

Maria allowed her face to rest in her hands as she took in all the information. She was thankful that the Captain did not push her to respond or ask her if she was alright, just rubbed small circles on her back.

The singers on stage finished their performance, but the two in the balcony seats remained frozen. The stage was cleared and there was a 5-minute break before the opera was to begin.

As the lights turned on, Maria sat up straight.

"I used to think I was the only person with a complicated past…how naïve I was. But after everything Max and I went through he never mentioned a word."

"He has never spoken to me either. All these years as friends, but whenever I would bring up Heidi he would change the subject or leave the room. He cannot deal with the topic of death in general; he really shies away any difficult conversations. But Maria, I must apologize again. I truly do feel terrible for wrecking this night for you."

"No, Georg, I-, well it's almost a relief for me to know."

The Captain could not have been more shocked, and Maria hastened to explain herself.

"I mean, after what he did to both of us…it means more to me than I can explain to know that he truly not a 'bad' person, just somebody that was deeply hurt and is still searching for a way to recover. That he never meant to cause any pain to us, only to himself. He's still grieving, but he's not evil."

"I can't imagine Max wanting to cause himself any pain" the Captain responded coolly, but with interest at Maria's theory.

"Everything he does is self-destructive, Georg. The series of women, the drinking, the overeating, and the lifestyle of Austria's elite – he's doing everything possible to disassociate from who he was when he was with her. He probably doesn't consciously recognize what he's doing."

"Maria, darling, how is it that you can talk about the man that broke your heart so badly that you were bedridden with so much compassion?" the Captain asked softly, but despite the crowd of people milling about Maria could hear him perfectly.

"Because I understand how easily that could have been me." The Captain's expression urged her to explain. "I was young when my parents passed, but it frightens me to think what I would have become if I had not found a way to deal with my anger and my broken heart."

The Captain was quiet for a long time after this, staring into space, and Maria contented herself to contemplate everything that she had just learned. Max, who always seemed filled with a childlike glee, was actually as lost as anybody could be. It didn't change anything between them, Maria knew. In all the time they had spent together, they had never talked about anything that truly mattered. He knew enough about her history to recognize that she would understand his story, but he never brought it up. Nor would he talk about it with the Captain, his best friend, who went through something very similar.

Psychology has a theory that until a person admits that he has a problem, there is very little that can be done to help. Despite all the years that had passed, Max was not ready yet. If he ever came to her to talk she would listen, but she knew he never would.

Her eyes travelled to the Captain, sensing that something wasn't right with him.

"Georg?" she asked with a hand on his shoulder.

"Maria that's what was happening to me" he almost whispered. "Forcing the children away from me, eliminating music in the house, staying up to all hours of the night with my research… "

Maria placed both of her hands around the Captain's jaw and gently raised his chin so she could look at him straight on.

"But you've changed."

"Only because of you"

There was a pause as the air between them turned electric, and a force greater than any created by humanity urged their bodies closer. Maria's lips tingled and her head spun she was so desperate to be in his embrace, but she was conscious of their surroundings so, with the last ounce of sanity she had left, she tried to think of something to say.

"Your bowtie matches my dress"

The Captain blinked what must have been at least ten times, bringing himself out of the world he had created that held just Maria and himself. His eyes traveled to his tie, and then came to rest on Maria, with a confused expression.

The absurdity of the statement, given the conversation they had just finished, hit him and his laughter boomed throughout the theater as he stood beside her. He laughed because it was an easier release than crying. There had been enough tears, and it was a time for joy.

"Yes, I suppose it does." He chuckled, not sure what he was laughing at but loving the sense of freedom it offered, the weight it kicked off his chest.

They stood at the balcony and watched the people slowly make their way back to their seats.

With a giggle, Maria said "Look to your ten o'clock. Man in the blue suit. His hair is halfway off his head!"

The Captain followed her gaze and laughed as well at the man's ill-made toupee.

"It may be fake, but at least it's a human-colour! Two o'clock, woman with the green"

His eyes were training on a woman with considerably blue-tinged hair.

The mood lifted considerably, Maria and Georg took turns pointing out ostentatious dresses, extravagant hats, and oddly paired couples.

By the time the lights again began to dim and the first notes of the Overture were heart, the solemn mood was completely lifted and they were back to their old selves.

As the actors appeared on the wide stage, Maria thought to herself how lucky she was to be with a man with whom she could one minute discuss the most serious parts of life, and the next be filled with mirth and laughter. Because that's what life is all about. Taking the good with the bad and appreciating the entire package.


	60. Chapter 60

**A/N: I am so sorry for the delay - between finals and work, it has been absolutely crazy. I hope you enjoy this chapter - it's a whole lot of fluff. If only there were men like Georg in this decade :)**

**Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me this far, and especially those who keep leaving me the 'precious gift' of a review!**

_Chapter Sixty_

Two hours later even the Captain had to admit that it had been one of the best renditions of _The Marriage of Figaro_ that he had seen. It wasn't that the singing was particularly breathtaking—anyone who performed one of Mozart's operas professionally, especially in Austria had to be talented—but the way that they engaged the audience, truly drawing them into the storyline, was beyond compare. Their standing ovation was well-deserved.

Once the house lights came on, Maria and the Captain joined the crowd of people leaving the theater. Though the awards ceremony after the opera had been short and sweet, it was already just past eleven o'clock.

* * *

Though they were surrounded on all sides by a large conglomeration of people, neither took any notice. Maria was still trapped by Mozart in his magical world, and the Captain's entire world was the woman beside him. A set of brown eyes watched at the glowing couple made their way through the crowd, entirely oblivious to the whispers and glares. All those weeks together, how had he not seen what was now painfully obvious? And though he had no right to admit it, seeing the love and friendship they shared did cause him pain. She had never looked at him, even in their most intimate moments, the way she stared at the man on her arms. But what held his attention was the smile on his face. The life in his eyes. The way his movements flowed more like a dance than a march. It was all the proof he needed to know that, for the first time in decades, he had finally made the right decision. He knew Georg would never forgive him, nor should he, but for the first time since Heidi's death his actions weren't about him. Neither Georg nor Maria should ever know about his phone call with Liesl, their covert meeting in town the day before to pass the show tickets to her, or the dress he had convinced her to claim as her own and pass along to her governess. He knew how much the Austrian colours meant to Georg. He allowed himself one more instant to watch his lifelong best friend – the man who had always stood up for him even the many times he didn't deserve support, and had stood by him through everything – and the woman he knew had been sent into all their lives to guide them. With a sigh, he turned and walked in the opposite direction, away from reconciling his biggest mistake.

* * *

"What did you think?" asked the Captain with a smile. He had enjoyed listening to Maria's ongoing reactions to the opera almost as much as the performance itself.

"It was phenomenal" she said. "I knew the songs and the storyline, but to see it all put together, and with such a beautiful set and costumes! And their voices – wow! The training they must have gone through to hit some of those notes with such clarity!"

"Come now Maria, I've heard you humming the score from time to time, and you never seemed to have any problems with the notes" the Captain raised his eyebrows at her.

Maria's cheeks warmed slightly. Half the time she didn't realize it when she was humming or singing to herself.

"Captain" she started, for they were in the middle of a large crowd of people "if my humming or singing ever bothers you, please just tell me and I'll stop…well I'll make an effort to try, anyways."

"Maria when I hear you humming or singing with the children, it makes my day so much brighter. Who would tell a robin to stop its song?"

Maria was contented by his responses, and as discreetly as she could she moved a little closer to him, holding his arm a little tighter.

They made their way outside, and to both their delight found it to be warm, with only the slightest breeze.

"I don't know how I'll ever sleep tonight," she admitted to the Captain as they waited for the crowd to clear slightly before calling Franz. "After everything I learned about Max and Frau Schiegl, and then the amazing performance my heart is too full to ever give my mind peace."

"You're not tired?" the Captain was surprised that after a day in the mountains followed by all the excitement.

"Not at all" she answered, and he could hear the truth in her voice. "Georg do you think we could…" she trailed off, remembering the past reaction this question had earned her.

"Walk home?" he filled in her blank.

The night was perfect – the beautiful crescent moon without a cloud in the sky, stars shining, air warm with a slight breeze.

She nodded with a laugh. "You know me too well"

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed. From the theater, it would only be about a twenty minute walk back to the villa. As an added bonus, he wouldn't have to invite Franz into his night with Maria.

Maria had always walked quickly, even when she was in no rush or had no final destination. With the children it was no problem as they were always full of energy, but whenever she was with a 'grown-up', she always had to remind herself to shorten and slow her steps. Walking through the abbey with the nuns had been dreadful. She was delighted to notice that Georg's steps matched hers, and he did not seem to notice the quick pace.

They chatted amicably about the opera, dissecting everything from the accuracy of costume style to favourite characters and songs.

"Figaro's _Non più andrai_ was outstanding – he had an remarkable voice"

"Senor Benito has played the part nearly ten times I believe" the Captain responded.

"When I was younger, I spent hours in the library trying to translate the opera line-by-line." Maria laughed to herself, remembering her struggles. "This was the only aria that I even somewhat made it through. I didn't have the written Italian lyrics, so was trying to spell words out based on the pronunciation that I remembered hearing on the recording!"

"How did that go?" the Captain laughed, understanding the impossibility of that task.

"I ended up with some nonsense about a butterfly in a moustache" Maria rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "That's when I knew that my talents were not in translation"

The Captain's steps paused for a moment.

"Are you sure it was nonsense?" he asked slyly.

Maria just raised an eyebrow.

"Indulge me. Sing the first line of the song in the Italian you remember."

"Georg, Figaro's part is written for a bass," Maria protested. She had no apprehensions about singing in front of him anymore, but the thought of singing in the streets at midnight didn't seem wise.

"So take it up an octave…or three" he pushed.

Maria knew better than to deny him anything, so she cleared her throat and sang, perfectly on key.

"Non più andrai, farfallone amoroso"

She paused as Georg has instructed, and waited for further instruction. To her surprise, Georg repeated the melody line she had just song, but in its original octave and in words she understood.

_"You won't go any more, amorous butterfly," _

"It is actually about a butterfly?" Maria exclaimed in surprise.

Georg gestured for her to continue. Maria, no longer worried about waking the neighbours she was so intrigued continued.

"Notte e giorno d'intorno girando,"

_"Fluttering around inside night and day," Georg_ sang back, parroting her notes' rises and falls.

"Delle bell turbando il riposo,_ "_

_" Disturbing the sleep of beauties,"_

" Narcisetto, Andoncino d'amor."

_"A little Narcissus and Adonis of love."_

"Non più avrai questi bei penacchini,_"_

"_You won't have those fine feathers any more,"_

"Quel capello leggiero e galante, _"_

"_That light and jaunty hat"_

"Quell chioma, quell'aria brillante,_ "_

"_That hair, that shining aspect"_

"Quel vermiglio donnesco color !_ "_

"_That womanish red colour in your face ! "_

"Fra guerrieri, poffar Bacco!"

_"Among soldiers, by Bacchus!"_

"Gran mustacchi, stretto sacco"

_"A huge moustache, a little knapsack"\_

"There's my moustache!" Maria laughed, and quit singing (much to the delight of the neighbours who were trying to get some sleep).

"Hopefully not _your_ moustache" Georg grinned back cheekily, earning him an exasperated look.

"What's a Bacchus?" Maria asked. It had been one of the lines she could not translate no matter how many times she sang the words back to herself.

"Another name for Dionysus" the Captain answered, and when Maria still looked confused he elaborated "The god of winemaking and ecstasy. He was responsible for freeing his followers from self-conscious fear and care."

"Sounds like a dangerous God to worship" Maria commented lightly, her heart rate picking up ever so slightly from the topic.

"How do you mean? Sometimes the best thing a person can do is to take a chance."

"But to have no self-consciousness, no fear – why put yourself at such a great risk of being hurt?"

Maria shivered, in part from the cool night breeze and in part from their conversation. Her bare arms were covered in goosebumps. To her surprise, when she looked over at her companion Georg was shrugging off his suit jacket.

"Georg, you'll freeze," she protested, but her words did not stop him from draping the large coat over her shoulders. He didn't take any notice of her words.

"Sometimes it's the only way to make a change. You should know that better than anybody."

"Me?"

"Remember that afternoon that I returned from Vienna? When I demanded the truth and you gave it…though it wasn't what I wanted to hear."

Maria grimaced slightly at the memory, and was comforted when she felt his warm hand envelop her cool one and pull her slightly closer to him.

"Saying what you did that day…if you were had any fear in standing up to me like you did, or were self-conscious about being absolutely drenched and wearing those terrible drapes…" the Captain chuckled "…it certainly did not show."

"It wasn't true bravery - I didn't really think about the repercussions until it was too late" Maria admitted. "It was only when you told me to pack my bags that I realized what I had said. Not to say I wasn't proud of what I said, I must admit, but how I said it was foolish. I honestly didn't believe you when you asked me to stay."

"Why not?" Georg asked in surprise.

"Because you…you changed." Maria's steps had stopped, and she was facing the Captain directly. Memories of that question that had always remained unanswered between them were renewed. They were well out of Salzburg, the villa close enough that the lights at the end of the driveway illuminated each other's faces.

Georg remained silent.

"You switched" Maria tried to explain. "I expected the man standing in front of me to be the same person I had just criticized on the terrace…I mean they certainly looked the same…but you weren't. I remember, for almost I week I tried to figure out what had come over you to provoke such a change. I thought it might have been hearing the children sing again, but they had been singing that first night of the storm and…well…you didn't seem pleased at that one. And then that afternoon, just out of the blue, from 'Captain' to 'Father'. 'Fired' to 'Hired'."

"Out of the blue?" Georg asked with genuine surprise. "Maria I thought you knew…I mean everybody else in the house knew…it was because of you."

"Me?" Maria asked with surprise. "You mean what I said to you on the terrace? Georg, you actually heard my ramblings that afternoon? I always thought you were too stubborn to even hear the words coming out of me let alone process them, at that point of time anyways." She had been wondering for months what had prompted the change in the man. In her humility, she had discounted their one-sided spat nearly immediately as the cause of the dramatic transformation.

"Of course I heard your words Maria, but it was so much more than that. I don't know how to explain this." Georg ran his fingers through his hair as he paused to think. "Alright" he finally decided. "When Elsa, Max and I were driving into Salzburg that day, did you know that I did not recognize the 'urchins' I saw climbing in the trees above us? I didn't realize it was you and the children until I saw the canoe start to tip over. I heard their laughter as they climbed out of the water, and I didn't recognize the sound either. And then I saw the way they followed you, laughed with you, clung to you. And I realized that the eight of you had formed a family, and it scared me. So I defaulted, yelled at the children and was about do the same to you, but you beat me to it. You told me everything that I didn't want to hear – everything that I was in that very moment attempting to repress. That the children were not happy. That I did not know them. That unless something changed, they would soon grow up and be gone. Your words were so truthful I couldn't help but hear you.

"And I suddenly couldn't hide behind my 'Captain' title, because your forceful criticism of me undermined any authority I felt I had. You had, metaphorically speaking, taken the helm of my ship, and I had lost my control. So I fired you, thinking I could again be in charge, return to status quo. But then they sang the same song you had been humming after dinner on your first night here. I remembered the interactions between you and them that I had just witnessed moments ago. And I realized that they loved you like a mother, and you them. They knew I would probably become angry with the singing, but were willing to risk it because you had asked them to sing for Elsa – it had to be love. And seeing what my children looked like because of this love shattered the many illusions five years can create, and the pieces were too fragmented to be put back together. And as such I knew any hope to make amend would be vanquished if I fired you."

Maria could hardly believe what she was hearing, and didn't know what to say. The answer was far more complicated than she ever could have imagined all the times she had asked herself.

"I'm very glad you asked me to stay" she responded weakly.

"Are you?" he asked in all seriousness. "Even after everything that happened with Max and Elsa, and then you falling ill…"

"Georg we've been through this. It was terrible at the time, yes, but when I think about what my life could have been in the abbey, and what it is becoming now, how could I have any regrets? "

"Why were you so insistent not to see a doctor after you fainted?" the Captain asked. He knew that the question was coming out of nowhere, but it had just popped into his mind when he had mentioned her illness.

A lump formed in Maria's throat. She was tempted to change the subject or to lie, but she could not…would not…lie to him. Especially not after his truthfulness tonight. She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, then started.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to see a doctor…" Maria began.

"You didn't!" Georg interjected.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to see a doctor…" Maria began again, giving him a warning look not to interrupt. "…so much as I didn't want to have to see a doctor…with you around."

Maria took another deep breathe. Gathering up all the courage she could without a verse of "I have confidence", she forced herself to look him in the eye as she explained.

"I didn't want you to see me like that, Georg—I hated myself for crying in front of you, for allowing you to feel my body shaking with shock and hear the fear in my voice. I knew that if a doctor came he or she would just further confirm how weak I was, how lost, how scared. Everything that I had been worrying about would suddenly become reality, and I would no longer be able to hide it away from you. I didn't want you to have to go out of your way for me, to spend your time, your money, and your worry on something that was my problem. I didn't want you to know I wasn't crying for losing Max; I was crying at the thought of leaving you and the children. I couldn't put that responsibility on you. I didn't want to put you in a position where you had to look after me by 'doctor's orders', where I might mistakenly think that you care for me more than you did…than you do."

Under the soft lighting, Maria could see that the Captain's face had lost a great deal of its colouring, but his eyes were firmly set within her gaze.

She shivered slightly, this time not from the cold, swallowed the lump constricting nearly her entire esophagus, and vowed silently to lighten the mood.

"But I was wrong…as strangely is often the case when we're together, and Dr. Saeger was wonderful. And now when I look at my life, my heart is full of love for the children, gratitude towards you, excitement for the future, and mostly overwhelming joy. I don't know what I did when I was young to deserve a life like you have given me, but it must have been something very good."

Thinking about the many gifts God has given her brought a genuine smile to Maria's face, and the Captain was hypnotised by her heart shining through her eyes.

"Maria, I'm in love you."

His voice was strong, warm.

Love in her bright eyes mirrored his.

Hearts glowed like two suns

The Captain had not premeditated the words. He had not planned the moment; had not even expected it.

But as the most powerful three words electrified the air between them, he knew their message to be true. And his subconscious mind brought tears to his eyes at the joy of its release.

Maria audible inhaled and the corners of her already-smiling lips twitched upwards as she tried in vain to suppress a joyous smile to not distract from the seriousness of his words. Warmth filled leaked from her core to the tips of her toes and her fingers, and she felt a weightless. Rather than the surprise she would have though such a confession would evoke, she was instead consumed with the sense of completion – as if some part of her always knew that they would end up in this place.

"And I you." she admitted, softly tracing the strong lines of his face as she admitted the sentiment she had been aware of since the night before returning to the abbey. "I think a part of me has loved you since you gave me that whistle."

Biting her lip, Maria pulled at the fine chain around her neck, releasing the small whistle from where it had been nestled beneath her dress. Georg had a flashback to her same hesitant smile and delicate fingers playing with the chain behind the puppet theater a lifetime ago.

"A little bit of you always beside my heart" Maria answered his incredulous expression.

Georg reached and slowly rolled the symbol of everything he regretted in his life hanging around the neck of the woman he loved and was overcome by a sensation of destiny.

"I've loved you so long, but was so afraid of what it meant" he spoke softly.

He felt her shudder, and gently returned the whistle to her awaiting hands.

"Since you sat on that pinecone" Georg smiled at her,

"What?" Maria exclaimed with a laugh. "You knew about that?"

"After four governesses complained bitterly to me about it, yes I had a fairly good idea. I was highly impressed by your creative answer, though."

Maria's musical laugh sent shivers of desire up the Captain's spine.

"I've known since I first heard you sing" he now spoke seriously. "Your voice is unlike anything I've ever heard. It is almost as enchanting as your laughter, almost as brilliant as your smile, almost as warm as your heart or as beautiful as you are. Whenever we are together I fall in love with you more."

Maria's heart skipped a beat, and her fingertips could feel the warmth growing in Georg's cheeks. Her head felt light. Her visual field was blurred except for the man in front of her, her ears ringing in the silent night. But she didn't notice this, because her eyes never strayed from him, and all she could hear were his words.

She watched in amazement as his face drew nearer to hers, and the heat she had just felt in his face and eyes coursed through her as she felt his arms pulling her body into his.

His lips crashed down on hers and brilliant flashes of light danced behind Maria's closed eyelids to the melody of the high-pitched humming in her ears.

Dionysus must have heard his name called, as any hesitancy or self-consciousness that might have been present in their past embraces was gone. Maria felt Georg's hands gently ran up and down her back, holding her firmly against him. His scent was like a drug to her, and she moaned softly into his lips.

The Captain felt Maria's lips part slightly against his, and instinct drove him to deepen their kiss. A sense of desire and love filled his body and mind, one that he had long forgotten could exist. Something worth travelling across seas, fighting in bloody battles, and overcoming terrible obstacles.

It was something people searched a lifetime for.

He wouldn't lose it.

He couldn't.

The skirt of Maria's beautiful red dress fluttered in the breeze and as though God himself were controlling it, wrapped around the Captain's legs.

The two embraced in the moonlight, Maria in the Captain's suit-jacket and the Captain partially engulfed by Maria's dress. And for any passerby, it would have very much appeared that they were two people merging seamlessly as one.

Four arms, four legs, two faces.


	61. Chapter 61

A/N: I apologize again and again for leaving this story on the back-burner so to speak for so long. Between final exams, then work, then illness it's been a rough month. Anyways, we are very close to the end now...just a few more chapters and I'll try to get them up as quickly as I can! Hope everyone had a very happy holiday, and to those who continue to review - thank you so much! Enjoy.

_Chapter Sixty-One_

After Frau Schmidt had finally left them for the evening, the children re-convened in the older girls' room, as had now become their tradition. All had spent the entire evening on edge, ready to burst with excitement but unwilling to say anything with Gretl, Marta, and Frau Schmidt in the room. Not a word could be passed along until they were certain.

"Did you see father's expression?!"

"Did you see fraulein Maria's!?"

"I thought he was going to faint!"

"She couldn't even talk!"

"And they were joking around together all day!"

"And she played that terrible game all afternoon – she _must_ love him"

"Don't push it Kurt. But I think she might **_like_** like him"

"He must like her – he wore his best suit!"

It was a good think that Frau Schmidt slept soundly and was going deaf, or she would have surely be awoken by all the commotion.

"I know you're all excited, but Father and fraulein Maria will be home before we finish analyzing their every word and action" Liesl finally quieted her siblings, who took their regular spots around the room.

"But Liesl, I think our plan is working" Brigitta's cheeks were flushed with excitement as she clutched the blanket around her shoulders.

Before the ruckus could start up again, Liesl responded.

"You might be right, Brig. I hope you are…"

"So our job is done?" Friedrich asked. As excited as he was about his father and governess possibly falling for each other, he was much more interested in falling himself…either for a girl or into bed…either one was appealing at midnight.

"No!" Brigitta intervened before her siblings could take Friedrich's side. "We're in the last leg of race, Friedrich, but we haven't reached the finish line."

"It's not enough that they might have feelings for each other – they have to realize it. And then do something about it!"

"So what do we do?"

"So Brig, are we sticking with the literature theme? I guess it has done well thus far." Louisa asked.

Brigitta shrugged. "I hate to say it, but I think I'm out of ideas. We've done a myth, a fairytale, a play and a classical novel. Those are pretty much the genres of my library…unless you think the encyclopedia would have something to offer?"

"What about cartoons?" Friedrich suggested, now thinking of literature themes.

"Father can't fly or shoot webs from his fingers…at least not that we know about. And that's about their only redeeming quality" Liesl rolled her eyes, and laughed at the horrified faces.

"A cookbook?" Kurt suggested.

"For matchmaking advice?" Louisa smacked her younger brother over the head with a pillow. "Maybe instead of thinking about what we like to read we should instead look at what Father and fraulein Maria like?"

"Well Father likes plays and classical literature, but also those large books he receives from the French navy now and then."

"And if we would touch then, we would be homeless. And there's no use sneaking them out of his office—he keeps them in the safe."

"Not to mention, how to assemble a cannon hardly seems romantic."

"Not to mention terribly dated…"

"What about fraulein Maria?" Brigitta asked, but Liesl was already passed her younger sister.

"The Bible" Liesl laughed slightly to herself. "How could be have been so stupid? The one book fraulein Maria has _constantly_ told us to turn to whenever we need advice."

"Have a passage in mind?" Kurt, who was too young to remember going to church when their mother was still alive, asked.

"What about the story of Rachel and Jacob?" Louisa asked, and Liesl nodded.

"That's the one I was thinking of."

For the sake of her siblings, Louisa explained.

"It's part of the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Rachel and Jacob meet, and immediately Jacob falls completely head over heels for her. Determined to impress her, he moves a large boulder, and they kiss. He wants to marry Rachel, but has nothing to offer her family, so he agrees to work for seven years for them. I believe the passage reads something along the lines that he loves her so much, seven years will seem like only a day. But seven years later Rachel's father tricks Jacob, and marries him to his daughter alright, but it's Rachel's sister. It is not until Jacob is with Leah, Rachel's sister, after the ceremony that he realizes the deception. He speaks with the father, who agrees to give him Rachel's hand in exchange for another seven years of work. Finally, fourteen years after they first meet, Jacob is united with his true love."

"How do you know these things?" Friedrich yawned, wondering if he had slept through that lesson.

"One of the books I had to read for German made reference to Rachel and Jacob, and Fraulein Maria explained the story to Liesl and I during lessons a few weeks back" Louisa explained.

"Haven't we tied the whole 'keep them apart' thing when we were comparing father to the Beast?" Kurt yawned. These late nights were catching up with him.

"Not what we're going for this time. Jacob worked incredibly hard for fourteen years to win the right to marry Rachel. We have to make Father and fraulein Maria both believe that the other would do anything for him/her."

"Liesl, maybe I'm wrong, but don't you think they've already shown that to each other? Like, daily?"

"True, but neither of them takes credit so it pretty much goes unappreciated."

"Jacob basically did thousands of chores on the farm for Rachel, right?" Kurt asked slowly.

"In essence."

"So we do a whole bunch of chores around the house for them, and then say that the other did it" he explained as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The older children looked at each other doubtfully.

"Don't you think that's a little…simple?" Louisa asked as nicely as she could.

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" Kurt quoted, and then to the blank stares of his siblings, "da Vinci?"

"Kurt, you are bucket full of surprises" Louisa laughed.

"It's not the most elaborate plan but I am completely out of ideas. And Liesl, you must be completely broke after buying those tickets" Brigitta noted, with a curious expression.

Liesl blanched slightly, remembering the meeting she had with her 'uncle' the day before. She had been doubtful of his intentions when she had met with him, the vision of him and the Baroness entwined on Maria's bed playing over and over in her mind, but after their talk she had accepted his intentions were pure. He had said wanted the two people he had hurt the most to be happy. That asking forgiveness now would be selfish and undeserved. In time, once he turned himself into someone worth forgiving, he would return.

"If no one else has any ideas, then I guess that'll be the plan?" Liesl agreed, though her doubt was evident in her tone.

Kurt watched with annoyance as the others hesitantly nodded their heads.

"It'll work!" he insisted.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Kurt would agree to do chores, let alone suggest them" Friedrich laughed.

"Sometimes you have to do terrible things for greater reasons"


	62. Chapter 62

**_Chapter Sixty-Two_**

Warmth.

As Maria sensed herself slowly waking, she allowed herself a few moments before her eyes had to open to remain curled around the pillow she had been hugging close to herself all night. Eyes still closed, her lip shaped into a smile as scenes and sensations from the night before flooded her memory. The Captain in his suit…the opera…singing that ridiculous Italian song…the Captain's words…his smell…taste…touch…the joy.

So what do you do when you have found everything you never allowed yourself to hope for?

Maria's eyes opened, suddenly unable to spend another moment in bed. She knew she should be nervous about seeing the Captain again…all the magazines Liesl had read to her aloud had said she should be worried that he might have changed his mind, might feel differently in the light of day…

But she didn't have any of these worries.

All she wanted was to see him again.

Sitting up in bed, Maria was surprised at the amount of light filtering through her drapes, which in retrospect she didn't remember closing. Her eyes turned to her clock, and she gasped aloud at the time.

11:05.

How could it possibly be so late? Admittedly they had only retired well past 2:30, as their 20 minute walk had taken well over four times as long, but she had never slept this late in her life.

The children!

Maria panicked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. It was only then that she noticed the small white paper tucked beside her clock.

_Fraulein Maria,_

_I hope you had a great opportunity to sleep in. Your alarm is working good, I turned it off when I brought this letter in. Last night I realized that you have not had any time off in a super long time. Take today off to have some fun. I have made breakfast and it will be waiting for you in the kitchin whenever you would like. Do not worry about the children, I will be with them in the study working on their lessons all morning- don't worry about coming to say hi because it is your day off. If there are any additional chores that you feel need to be done, I encorage you to write them on a paper in the kitchen and I will see to that they be completed at once._

_The Captain._

Maria's re-read the letter twice with the utmost confusion, noting the spelling and grammar mistakes, the content, the hand-writing on the paper and, most notably, the title at the end.

"Why in God's good earth is Kurt writing me a letter and addressing it from Georg?" she puzzled out loud

Maria opened her closet, only to find a second note pinned to a simple yellow dress that she had never seen before. Liesl's cursive was unmistakable, though the effort to disguise the penmanship was noted.

_I picked this up in the city and had it pressed for you. The children and I will be working through lunch – I will have Frau Schmidt delivered something to you wherever you would like to eat. The garden is beautiful this time of the year. The Captain._

Maria was puzzled to the children's motives, but slipped on the dress. It was, she had to admit, quite pretty. The skirt was a little shorter than she would have normally worn, and the neckline not as high as she would have liked, but the fabric was light enough for the warm day ahead, and the colour bright and cheerful. As a final thought, she tucked the whistle that now meant the world to her under the neckline of her dress.

Carrying the two notes with her, Maria hurried down the stairs to find some explanations.

"Frau Schmidt!" she was happy to see the older woman as soon as she entered the kitchen. "Good morning!"

"Good afternoon" the older woman smiled pointedly.

Maria smiled back sheepishly.

"I'm afraid my alarm clock must not be working. Please, have you seen the Captain and the children?" Calling Georg by his title left a funny taste in her mouth.

"The Captain left early this morning for town, I believe. As for the children, I don't understand what has gotten into them! They awoke at the crack of dawn and have been frantically doing chores all morning. They have, with no exaggeration, scrubbed the floors, washed the windows, and dusted ever free surface they can reach. Right now I believe half are cooking up some dessert in the kitchen while the others are arranging the Captain's sheet music in the den. They keep leaving little pieces of paper with writing on it all over the place as well…"

Frau Schmidt looked to the governess for an explanation, but received only a dumbfounded expression in return.

"I don't know what to say…" Maria answered honestly, then showed the woman the notes she had found that morning.

"I suppose it would be best to follow their instructions" Frau Schmidt shrugged. "They are not doing any harm; in fact they're doing all my work for the upcoming week. Personally, I plan to take an extended nap."

Maria agreed, and decided to spend a couple hours in her study, finishing up her lesson planning.

She half expected a note on her desk, but as she unlocked the door to the Captain's study, she remembered that the children didn't know she had access to that area of the house, let alone her own room.

A note similar to those she had found in her room was however placed on the Captain's desk, and with curiosity Maria turned it over.

_While the children were working __**so **__hard at their lessons, I made a chocolate cake and thought you might want some. I added extra chocolate pieces so it's even better than we normally get. It is in the kitchen. Cake and sunshine go together well – just saying._

_Fraulein Maria._

Maria laughed out loud at the absurdity of the note – as if Georg would ever believe she wrote something like that. The words sounded as though they were coming directly from Friedrich's mouth.

Though their ambitions weren't clear, the children were a great entertainment. So much so, she barely mourned the loss of what could have been a morning of her and Georg together, with the children so busy. At least she could get the rest of her work done and then be free to enjoy the last few days of summer before school would start.

A couple hours passed in silence, as Maria methodically worked through the paperwork-side of teaching that's rarely seen or appreciated by the general population. Designing interactive and inventive lessons had never been a problem for her, but the tedium of writing down all her ideas in a manner understandable by somebody else was wearing.

She was relieved when a knock at her door drew her away from her work. She was surprised that the clock read 14:30 as she opened the door.

There was only one person in the home that knew of the hide-away den, and Maria's fingers and toes were tingling before she finished turning the door-handle.

"I never thought I'd see Maria Rainer spending a beautiful day cooped up indoors," Georg's laughed became louder as he took in the appearance of the woman in the doorway.

Dressed in a beautifully summery dress, her face showed anything but joy. An ink stain drew attention to her right cheek, and her hair on the left side was frazzled from resting her head in her hands. A look of pure frustration in her eyes slowly was being replaced with their normal sparkle.

"Rough morning?" he asked between laughs.

"You have no idea. Why do I have to write down what I plan on doing every moment? **_I_** know what I want to do with the students! Can't Frau Innes just watch me in action?"

"You are adorable when you're frazzled" he ran two fingers across her cheek, his touch instantly soothing her. "But maybe I can help?" He raised a single eyebrow.

"That's very kind, but…" Maria's eyes darted back to the stack of papers on her desk, trying to think of a gentle way of telling him that it was something she had to do for herself.

Georg was surprised at how much Maria's naivety affected him.

"Not with your work, my love"

His words brought heat to Maria's cheeks. Though she wasn't entirely certain she understood exactly what he was suggesting, the general connotation was clear.

"I missed you this morning," he whispered, even though they were alone in the small room. Already standing close together, he did not have to reach to rub his thumb across her ink-stained cheek, smudging it more than erasing it.

Maria, suddenly shy, directed her gaze downwards, examining in detail the leather stitching of his Italian shoes. She felt a slight pressure under her chin, gently forcing her eyes up to meet his. She didn't know why she was acting this way – all morning she had been nearly bouncing she was so excited to see his face, to hear his voice, to feel his arms around her…and now faced with him she felt like a schoolgirl who had just been asked on her first date – excited but completely overwhelmed by what everything meant. The talkative Maria was suddenly speechless.

"What is it?" Georg asked softly, not used to a quiet and reserved Maria.

When she didn't answer immediately but her cheeks reddened even further, Georg understood. Internally he criticized himself for not immediately taking her into his arms the moment he walked through the door – he kept forgetting that she was new to relationships, mostly because when he was with her it was as if they had always been together.

Georg guided Maria towards the large desk chair, sat down, and pulled her into his lap.

"I apologize – I meant to start by thanking you. Last night was the most incredible evening of my life."

"The opera was very well done, and I've never had a sing-along in the streets at midnight" Maria agreed, flashing him a wry smile.

Georg laughed out loud, relieved to see the Maria he knew so well back behind the sparking eyes.

He pulled her tightly into him, and she relaxed her head on his chest, effectively smearing the ink all over the white fabric. His chin rested lightly on the top of her head, and he spoke into her hair.

"I meant it." He spoke softly, and Maria could feel the vibrations of his deep voice against her cheek.

"Meant what?" she asked, her heart becoming tachycardic. She knew exactly what he meant, but she wanted more than anything to hear the words again.

"That you would look terrible in a moustache..."

"I love you t—wait, what?" Maria sat up, nearly causing the Captain to lose a couple teeth as his lower jaw flew upwards from the force of her head.

"…but I would love you even still. Nothing you can do will ever change that."

Holding her so close, Georg could see Maria's eyes begin to swim in both laughter and love.

His lips barely found hers when they could hear the clicking of a door followed by the whispers of Kurt, Brigitta and Gretl in the Captain's office. Maria sent a quick prayer of thanks up to heaven that they had closed the door to her study. She placed a finger to her lips, determined to figure out what the children were planning. To her dismay, the Captain took that as an invitation to nibble gently on her bottom lip.

"The note's been turned over, so he must have seen it!" Maria made out, but the rest of the conversation was lost as her mind clouded over from Georg's actions. She tried to focus on the children's words but her curiosity was lost as his hands explored her back and his lips her earlobe. When he returned his attention to her lips, she gave up on double tasking and embraced him as she had been waiting to all night.

A slight click soon alerted Georg that his children had left the office, and he gave Maria a final soft kiss and pulled away.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"Wha-?" Maria could not form coherent sentences her mind was so lost in the man holding her in his arms.

Georg's heart melted, relishing the reaction he could elicit from her. He leaned back just far enough that he could look her in the eye but not so far that he lost her scent, and watched with a happy heart as her eyes slowly cleared.

Maria seemed to gain focus, gently removing the Captain's hand from her back and holding them firmly in her own hands. As she spoke, she subconsciously played with his fingers while his other arm remained tightly curled around her. She briefly described what had been happening all morning.

The Captain had no explanation either.

"Perhaps they're trying to butter me up to ask for new bikes?" the Captain suggested.

"I thought of that, they've certainly hinted at it before, but then why would they be giving me all the credit in the notes to you and vice versa?" said Maria.

"I suppose as long as their helping out around the house we shouldn't stop them"

"That's what Frau Schmidt seems to think as well," Maria agreed. "Speaking of that, have you eaten lunch, Georg?" Maria asked, realizing she had not yet eaten and it was almost 15:00.

"Not yet, have you?" Georg asked, and was concerned when Maria shook her head. The words of Dr. Saeger were not far from his mind.

They half-heartedly untangled themselves and left the study.

Maria couldn't help but gasp slightly at the sight of the house – it was immaculate. The floors and windows were shiny, books/toys/papers were put away, and the house was completely silent. Only little notes on several surfaces seemed out of place.

"I'm very impressed you apparently did all this on your own, _fraulein_ Maria" Georg quietly whispered as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Come now _Captain_, my grammar may be atrocious, but it seems as though I clean like a whip. I am quite excited to taste this apple tart you apparently have left for me in the refrigerator" she referenced another note they had found sitting on the couch.

"That would be near the chocolate cake you made for me, then" Georg grinned back.

"Extra chocolate pieces" they chimed together.

True to their words, the children had indeed left desserts prepared for the adults in the kitchen. As per a set of instructions she had found near a sink, Maria decided to eat outside, and the Captain followed her. They across from each other near the lake, their knees entwined at their close proximity

"How was town?" Maria asked as they ate their desserts in the warm sun.

"Still standing – no posters with our faces that say "wanted for disturbing the peace" so I suppose that's something to be grateful for."

"Perhaps they're still at the printer?" she laughed.

As they enjoyed their cake in the bright sunlight, Maria finally had time and opportunity to take a better look at the attractive man sitting in front of her.

He was fully concentrating on his cake, and Maria noticed that there were dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed more serious and deep in thought than she had seen him in many weeks.

"Georg? Is everything alright? You look exhausted" she abandoned her apple dessert and focused her energy on him.

The Captain looked up quickly, as though startled from an all-consuming thought.

"I'm fine, my love. Didn't get much sleep last night" he paused before smiling at her wryly, enjoying the almost constant state of redness he seemed to cause in her cheeks.

"Why don't you lie down for a couple hours before dinner? It looks like the children are busy…"

"I'd rather spend the afternoon with you" said Georg, his voice filled with honesty. "I can sleep in a couple weeks when you're at school."

Maria scrunched up her nose.

"I suddenly feel like I'm six and off to the first grade all over again"

"I am infinitely grateful that you are not in that age bracket my love, or I would never be able to do this" Georg gently pulled her from her seat and onto his lap where he placed butterfly kisses up and down the young woman's neck, from her earlobe to where the yellow fabric of her dress met her tanned skin.

He smelled of chocolate, and his lips were light against her skin. Maria began to giggle as he hit a particularly ticklish region.

"Well you certainly laugh like a six year-old" the vibrations from Georg's deep voice transmitted from his lips to the sensitive skin behind Maria's ear.

Suddenly things weren't as funny.

"No witty comeback?" Georg was surprised at the silence to his comment, and pulled away slightly, and then understood when he saw the desire in Maria's blue eyes.

With a surprising forcefulness, Georg felt two hands on the back of his neck and head pull him forward and the softest pair of lips caress his. He longed to pull her firmly into him, holding her flush against himself, and his hands trembled with restraint as they rested on her hips.

"You taste like apple" he groaned as their lips momentarily separated, his eyes still closed. "So sweet…"

His words set every nerve in her body into hyperactivity, her mind awash in chemicals.

As though God was rewarding him, to the Captain's joy he felt Maria gently part his lips to deepen the kiss. One hand moved to play with her hair that was hot from the direct sunshine, the other compromising and pulling her in slightly closer.

He could feel her short nails clawing into his back as she shifted in his lap to face him more directly. Georg's suppressed a groan and quickly shifted slightly so his reaction to her sudden burst of confidence wouldn't scare her off.

When the craving for oxygen finally overtook her craving for Georg's lips, Maria pulled away, literally gasping out loud to return oxygen into her tingling fingers and toes.

It took her a minute to understand how she had ended up in straddling Captain Georg von Trapp, and when she realized what she had done, her eyes grew as though she had just a strong dose of Atropine.

"I…I should probably go check on the children…or get back…to work?" Maria stuttered as she tried to untangle the mess of arms and legs in order to extricate herself from him. Finally on her feet, Maria stood facing a slightly-flushed and disheveled Captain.

"Please get some rest…I'll see you at dinner?" Maria tried to gain back some of herself.

"If this is a reaction caused by apple tart, I'll make sure Cook gives you an extra helping every meal" the Captain said, and the complete glee was obvious in his voice. He kissed her lightly to let her know he was joking.

"…and yet again woman falls into temptation because of an apple…" Maria grumbled, causing the Captain to burst into laughter again.


	63. Chapter 63

A/N: I apologize for the delay in posting this - life suddenly got a little nuts! This is the second last chapter and I really hope you enjoy it. As always, any feedback is more than appreciated.

_Chapter Sixty-Three_

The children were in bed reading or asleep, Frau Schmid and Franz had retired for the evening, and the house was quiet that evening as Maria made her way up to her room. She had been hoping to spend the evening with Georg, but he had somehow disappeared the moment the children were tucked in. She was disappointed, but tried to reason with herself that it was unrealistic for her to expect the man to drop everything to spend every moment with her.

As she slowly ascended the stairs, memories of the family dinner brought about a grin.

_"I am barely hungry, Frau Schmid…" the Captain had announced as the plates were being laid down. With a subtle wink at Maria, he continued, "…after eating the most incredible chocolate cake this afternoon."_

_"Try your best, sir" the quick-tongued housekeeper had rolled her eyes at his silliness._

_"And I must say – the house has never looked more beautiful. When I arrived home this morning I barely recognized the place!" he continued. "Fraulein Maria, ever since you arrived everything in this house has changed."_

_The enormous grins and not-so-subtle under-the-table high-fives were not missed by any of the adults present, who share a more subdued grin._

_"The chocolate cake could not compare, I am certain, with the apple tart I tasted. I am so spoiled." Maria continued Georg's train of thoughts, choosing her words with the greatest of care. "This dress is one of the finest I have ever worn…and Captain the silver in the cabinet in the hall is shiny enough I could see my reflection. How did you know I was going to shine it before school starts?"_

This had continued throughout the entire meal, both adults complimenting the wide array of chores that had been done over the course of the day, including but not limited to cutting the grass (a true feat with the amount of property the Captain owned), dusting every surface, changing light-bulbs, re-arranging the children's study, and placing dried flower petals in each room to give a wide array of scents.

They had been hoping that through their praises, the children's ambitions would become clear; however, that had not to be the case. Their acting and improvisation skills showed great promise, and Maria made a mental note to ask Frau Innes about directing a winter musical.

Arriving in her room, Maria was surprised to see a garment bag lying on her bed, with a piece of paper attached.

Suspecting it was another note from the children, she did not hurry to read it. By the first line, however, she was hooked.

_My Maria,_

_I believe this is your size. I saw it when I was in town and it made me think of you. Put it on and meet me in the terrace._

_Your Georg_

Wondering if this was why the Captain had been in town that morning, she quickly unzipped the bag, being careful not to catch the zipper on the heavy fabric. She was surprised by the captain's selection, but did not hesitate before slipping it on. Before sprinting out of the room, like every instinct in her body was craving, she paused to admire his choice in the mirror. The ivory summer dress fell at knee level, with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. The most unique part, however, and Maria's favourite feature, was a light blue satin sash that ran right under the bustline and tied in the back. It was more of a 'young' dress than Maria normally would have chosen for herself. Perhaps that was why she felt so carefree and giddy.

Slipping on a pair of white heels to make herself feel a little more grown up, Maria smiled at her reflection, thoroughly pleased with Georg's choice.

_I have to be careful! _She smiled to herself as she descended the stairs and made her way to the terrace. _With these beautiful store-bought dresses, I may never be satisfied wearing my own creations again!_ There was a skip to her step as she relished the light, soft fabric against her skin.

Arriving in the foyer, Maria couldn't stop herself from spinning around just to watch the dress flare around her. Unfortunately for her, she was acutely unaware of her surroundings, and collided directly with Georg who was just coming to look for her.

"Good evening!" he laughed as he caught the twirling woman in his arms, holding her steady as she staggered slightly.

"Georg" she laughed, pleased that her voice didn't shake with embarrassment. Her red face, however, gave her away.

Georg smiled at the woman in his arms before gently kissing the bottom lip that she had been biting.

"That is only for me to bite" he whispered softly in her ears, trying not to laugh out loud at the audible gulp his comment caused.

"You look beautiful" he softly spoke, leading her towards the doorway.

"Thank you" she spoke as she turned to look at him. "And thank you so much for the dress – it's beautiful. I hope this isn't why you woke up at such a crazy hour this morning to go into town?"

"No," the Captain answered slowly, choosing his words with the utmost care. "I drove into Salzburg this afternoon – really, you can thank the children for the dress. Their…shall we call it 'independence'…for the day opened up an opportunity that I had not foreseen."

It was not like Georg to speak in riddles, but Maria barely noticed, as her mind had begun to whirl after the first eight words.

"I thought you were sleeping this afternoon! And why did you have to go back to town after you had been there all morning?"

The Captain looked perplexed for a moment, and then he was hit with realization.

"This morning I was not in Salzburg…I had to visit an old friend." He explained vaguely, breathing a sigh of relief when Maria seemed to accept his ambiguous explanation.

Eager to shift the conversation, the Captain gestured to Maria that she should sit at the table that was already set with silverware and plates.

"What's going on?" Maria asked, confused.

Georg held up one finger. "Don't move" and he disappeared back into the house.

True to his gesture, less than one minute later he returned with two plates piled with something Maria could not recognize.

"A second supper?" Maria smiled. "Georg, you are as bad as your son."

"This, my love, is for you" the Captain placed the plates on the table. "Vegetarian schnitzel, made entirely from mushrooms. I found the recipe in one of the bookstores in Salzburg…again thanks to the children… and thought you might appreciate a Maria-friendly meal. Supper for you was a little…lean."

Dinner that night had been beef roulade with potatoes already covered in thick gravy that had also seeped over to her vegetables. Kurt had been generous enough to finish her meal as well, but her stomach had been growling most of the evening. Perhaps not as quiet as she had hoped.

"Spatzle!" Maria exclaimed in joy as she recognized the second dish the Captain had brought out. "When I was young, my mother used to make spatzle for every special occasion – they were my favourite treat! Georg, thank you."

"I think every child in Austria at one time or another loved these noodles" the Captain agreed, helping himself to a large portion. He did not have the excuse of missing dinner, but really, who needs excuses when faced with spatzle?!

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, each enjoying the food almost as much as each other's company. Georg was particularly proud of the schnitzel – he had been quite worried. In his mind, "schnitzel" and "vegetarian" were mutually exclusive; however, he had to admit that this new recipe was quite good.

"Be right back" the Captain again announced when their plates began to empty. This time he came back with only a single plate of apple strudel.

"Woman's favourite fruit…" he rose both eyebrows as he set the dessert in front of a Maria who was gasping for air she was laughing so much.

* * *

Despite his protests, Maria insisted on helping Georg return the dishes to the kitchen. It was already 10:00, yet Maria felt in no way sleepy. The moon was high and full, yet the night air had not been informed of autumn's imminent arrival and remained warm and still.

"Would you care to join me for a walk through the grounds? I have something I'd like to show you" the Captain offered his arm, which Maria accepted.

"Show me?" Maria asked casually as she picked up her pace in order to keep with Georg's rapid footsteps.

"You'll see. I heard them leave this morning, and I think I just heard them start to return while we were eating…" the Captain was speaking to himself, leaving Maria more and more curious.

They were soon by the lake, in a clearing where the trees did not cover the night sky, the bright light of the moon easily illuminating the scenery.

"Geo-" Maria began, but was cut off when she felt the Captain's finger against her lips.

"Just listen and watch" the Captain's eyes were shining in the moonlight, as though he had just heard a confirmation of what he had been looking and listening for. Twenty minutes of waiting and it was time.

"Perfectly on schedule…like clockwork" she heard him whisper to himself, his eyes glued to the sky. Curious, she tilted her head back to gaze at the moon.

The world was completely silent for an instant, and then Maria heard what Georg had been listening for the entire time they were eating. God must have been on his side, as the timing was impeccable.

Flapping wings.

Honking.

Then, to Maria's absolute delight, two dozen geese, aligned perfectly in a V, crossed through her field of vision, dark shadows against the brightness of the moon. She heard splashing, and realized that these geese must live in the lake, leaving during the day to feed and returning to their nests at night here by the water.

And then there were more. Not all of them landed in the water; most continued on, probably further down the lake, towards Salzburg. The noise was considerable, and Maria could not believe that she had missed it in the past.

As though he could read her mind, Georg leaned over and explained in a whisper.

"They can sense the change of the season, and are preparing to migrate for the winter so they're feeding more and sorting out their travel companions"

"They're incredible."

"Are you tired?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Not in the slightest" Maria answered honestly, much to the Captain's relief.

"Then I have one more surprise."

"Another!"

"Well it's hardly to the caliber of that incredible field trip that you planned for the children, but I thought it was important that you be surprised by something now and then too"

"As clichéd as it sounds, I am surprised by you daily, Georg." Maria answered honestly.

"Then you are easily impressed" the Captain smiled wryly, placing a soft kiss on the hand that he held firmly in his own.

Before Maria could respond, the Captain began to remove his tie, placing Maria in a very awkward position of having no idea what was happening.

"Are you uncomfortable?" she asked, utterly confused.

Georg purposefully ignored her comment.

"Do you trust me?" he asked with complete seriousness.

"Implicitly" she responded without a beat of hesitation.

The last thing Maria saw before the Captain's tie covered her eyes was the smile that she loved more than any other sight.

The world became completely black, and Maria drew in a calm breath to keep her hands from shaking – not out of fear, but from anticipation. Georg was acting strangely, even for him.

She felt his hand wrap firmly around her own, and she carefully stepped forward, following his touch, his scent, and the sound of his breath.

They did not walk far when Georg told her to stop, remain perfectly still, and not remove the blindfold.

Her hand was suddenly empty, and she could hear the Captain moving and the sound of something scratching against what sounded like sandpaper. Her mind could not begin to fathom what was occurring around her. Wherever they were smelled wonderful- a mixture of florals and a clean smell she couldn't quite put her fingers on. The air temperature had not changed, so she believed herself to still be outdoors, however the slight breeze was gone- either the wind had gone down or she was being sheltered by something.

Her mind was so busy processing the information from her lesser-used senses that she didn't immediately recognize the feeling of the tie being removed from her eyes.

"Surprise" she heard the soft whisper of the Captain, filled with an anxiety that she did not recognize.

But her mind didn't have time to process that, because it was too full with what she saw around her. She was too full of emotions to react as she struggled to take everything in and interpret what it meant.

They were inside the gazebo, with moonlight streaming through the glass panes. But the moonlight wasn't necessary, because lining the benches surrounding the enclosure were hundreds of tea candles burning brightly, illuminating everything. Between the candles, white roses were interwoven such that the benches were completely covered. Each rose, on closer inspection, had exactly one drop of water on a petal.

"Raindrops on roses…" she whispered to herself, the pieces suddenly falling together.

Schnitzel with noodle…crisp apple strudel… wild geese that fly with a moon on their wings… a white dress with a blue satin sash…

She spun around towards where the Captain had been standing, but he was no longer there.

A sudden wooshing sound filled the gazebo and suddenly from above where she was standing came fluttering down only a handful of what she could only describe as snowflakes. Looking closely, she could see something of a pulley system, and she followed the cord down to see Georg making his way towards her.

The small white flakes of what Maria now could recognize by the smell as soap flakes hung in the air, as though gravity itself was frozen in the absolute beauty of the moment.

Snowflakes that stayed on her nose and eyelashes.

"Georg…" she tried to speak, but her head was spinning and her voice caught in her throat. Nothing felt real, and yet every step he took towards her seemed to take a lifetime.

In the glow of the candles that reflected off the glass gazebo, with the smell of roses mingling with the snowflakes that still hung in the air, the Captain handed Maria a package that was just bigger than the palm of his hand, wrapped in brown paper and held together with simple white string.

Though she thought her mind had lost complete control of her body, her reflexes took over and accepted the package.

"This is for you" the Captain's voice was low, and later Maria would remember a definite tremble in his words.

She didn't know what to say.

She wouldn't be able to speak anyways.

Without breaking eye contact, her fingers fumbled slightly with the string, finally loosening it and allowing the brown paper to fall to the ground.

The lid of the simple box came off easily in Maria's hands.

Her eyes finally broke away from his to look inside.

A single edelweiss lie in the box, with a blue ribbon that matched the one on her dress tied at its stem.

Lifting the flower, the box dropped to the ground.

She turned the flower to smell it, and felt something that had been placed around the stem of the flow, fastened slightly by the ribbon, fall into her hand.

When she saw the ring lying in her hand, she stopped breathing. The white-gold band shone in the candlelight, accentuating the delicate pattern the gold was woven into, framing a large center diamond with four smaller ones on either side.

She had not noticed him approaching, but when she finally tore her gaze away from the ring, he was standing right in front of her.

He placed his hand on her cheek, and his touch caused her to inhale sharply, her lungs thankful for the oxygen.

"Maria, I love you. More than I know how to express. You are my favourite thing, my blessing from God. You have given me back my life, but it remains incomplete without you, so I must ask: will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

Tears streamed down Maria's face, but her hands and voice were steady and filled with certainty.

"Of course"

The last of the snowflakes fell and the candles began to flicker as Captain von Trapp drew his fiancée into a deep embrace, both savouring the feeling of completeness that had been missing for so many years.


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N: This is it...the last chapter. It's so hard to believe. As I know some of you are aware, I started writing this fanfiction over five years ago, left it for a time, and only now came back to fix and finish. I really, really hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. To those of you who have stuck with me from the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed this 'adventure' with me! To absolutely everyone who reviewed, I cannot thank you enough. **

_Chapter Sixty-Four_

The next morning, despite having only a few hours of sleep, Maria woke with the sun feeling full of energy. Her muscles were already twitching when she awoke, and she recognized she could not spend another minute in bed.

She jumped slightly as her bare feet hit the cool floor of her room, recognizing for the first time that summer was truly over.

As she quickly prepared for the day, her mind wandered to the night before. After collecting the five-dozen roses (she had counted seven times since Georg had kissed her goodnight) and blowing out the hundreds of candles they had retired to what she now considered 'their' sunroom, where Georg patiently had answered all her questions. After Maria had gone to bed the night after the concert, he had met with an old friend, that part was true. It just happened that this friend was in Vienna, and sold jewelry.

Picking out the ring had been easy, he told her. He picked the best representation of his family…their family now. Maria, like the large diamond, in the middle, with the seven children and himself on either side.

Practically asleep, he had driven back to the villa only 2 hours after arriving in Vienna, which was when he had found Maria in the study. He had resigned to a simple proposal as he thought the children would require his attention for the day, but when he realized that they were preoccupied, his original plan was put into place with the help of Frau Schmidt, whose household duties had been fulfilled by the children.

Dressed and ready for the day, Maria sighed as she removed the beautiful ring she had been fiddling with and admiring all night, and carefully placed in on a chain so it could hang around her neck beside the whistle. The children were observant, and she and Georg had not spoken about how to break the news to them. The night was only for the two of them, he had told her.

With a light heart and a skip in her step, Maria hurried downstairs towards the kitchen for her routine tea. The children did not have to be woken for another hour at least.

Turning the corner towards the kitchen, Maria stopped in her tracks as Georg emerged from her final destination with two large mugs in hand.

"I had a feeling you would be coming to join me" Georg greeted his new fiancée with a smile that filled Maria was peace and joy.

"I had hoped to find you" Maria agreed, accepting the mug from Georg.

There was a moment of awkwardness, as the Captain tried to lean in to kiss her, but the tea sloshed about dangerously, forcing him to back away with a sheepish smile.

Neither needed to verbally suggest their destination – both automatically made their way towards the terrace where they had spent so many mornings together watching the sun rise.

"How did you sleep?" Georg asked once they were both comfortably seated on the banister, their hanging legs entwined.

"Like an insomniac" Maria laughed, resting her head on the Captain's shoulder while cradling the mug in both hands.

Her answer set off Georg's warning bells, but he tried to remain calm, kissing the top of her head before asking "What's wrong?"

Maria was surprised at the worry in Georg's voice. She had not realized the possible misinterpretations of her words after his proposal.

"I was too excited my love – some part of me was certain that when I woke up I would have found yesterday was a dream"

"Do you often have such dreams about me?" Georg teased

Maria buried her head a little deeper into the notch between Georg's shoulder and neck, and Georg smiled to himself as he felt the warmth of her face through the thin material of his shirt.

"Never as perfect" she admitted, hoping he wouldn't pry into how long she had been having these dreams about him. He let her off the hook this time.

"Perfect?" he asked with the glorious smile that lit up his face audible in his tone.

Maria raised her head so she could look her fiancé in the eyes.

"When I was young, I never dreamed of my perfect wedding like the other girls. Most of them knew the colour of their bouquet before their multiplication tables, and the cut of their wedding dress before they could spell crinoline. I always thought they were crazy; I mean a wedding is just one day in a whole lifetime. But at night, when my mind was too full to sleep, I would dream of the perfect _marriage_ – of the person I would share my life with and what our life would be like."

Maria inhaled sharply before continuing. "Georg, you exceed every hope my young mind ever created. The life I had hoped for pales in comparison to the one you have given me, and I spent last night in disbelief thinking of what my life is becoming. What you did for me last night…"

Maria shook her head, unable to verbalize what she had felt the night before.

"…no one has ever known me as you do. I never thought it was possible to love someone like I love you."

Maria knew she was rambling, internally struggling to find the correct words to convey the multitude of thoughts racing through her mind.

"So yes. Absolutely perfect" she announced triumphantly with a laugh.

Georg could feel his heart pounding in his head and his chest in his throat as he leaned over as carefully as possible so as to not spill the lukewarm drinks and gently kiss his fiancée.

"I could have asked dressed in a paper bag with rotten eggs being thrown at our heads…the fact you said yes would have made it perfect regardless" Georg responded truthfully, pleased when he earned himself a joyful laugh.

"And…" he continued "I have a feeling when the girls find out that you have absolutely no plans for a wedding, they'll be beyond thrilled. I'm sure they'd love to help you with whatever planning you're willing to share."

"Georg, we need to talk about that. How to tell them."

"Did you have something in mind?" Georg asked, willing to bet his home that Maria would have a very strong opinion about how to approach his children…their children…about everything.

Their children.

Georg smiled to himself at that thought.

"I think we should tell them sooner than later. They have a right to know what's going on in their own home."

"I agree – as wonderful as an actor as I'm sure you are, I have a feeling Brigitta and Liesl would be able to find out something's going on quite quickly."

"They are extraordinarily perceptive" Maria agreed.

"It was almost as if they realized we should be together before we did" the Captain agreed.

Both paused, thought, and simultaneously their heads turned to look at each other with incredulous expressions.

"They made me, the ultimate player of capture the flag, the jailer, and you my prisoner, didn't they?"

"I'm sure they unplugged the oven…I asked cook the next day and he said it had been working fine. Though I can't imagine what their original plan was for that one."

"The sudden desire for music lessons?"

"Your impromptu makeover?"

"Kurt asking for Shakespeare lessons?"

"The breakfast in bed?"

"The concert last night?"

"The chores today?"

"Though I agree these are all strange behaviours, Georg I don't understand how they thought some of these things would bring us together."

"I have no idea, my love, but whatever their inspiration, it worked."

Maria snuggled closer to Georg, her mug long abandoned on the rail as her hands were enveloped in his.

"How could we have been so blind?" she marvelled to herself softly, knowing he could still hear her.

"To their plans, or to each other?" Georg responded in an equal tone.

"Either. Both. Or better yet, how could they have been so perceptive of something that didn't exist?"

"It was there, we just didn't know about it yet" Georg kissed her on the crown of her head. "Or we weren't ready to admit it yet. Do we tell them we know what they were up to?"

"No, in some way they are responsible for this…for us. I don't think we'll ever know to what extent."

"Give them the sense of pride and accomplishment?"

"Exactly."

"Spoken like a true mother"

Maria quickly jerked out of Georg's arms to face him.

"Mother?"

Though she had finally accepted that she would be the wife of Captain von Trapp, it had never crossed her mind she would also become the mother of seven children. Seven children she loved with all her heart, but…

"Georg…what will they think? Especially the older children. I can't pretend to be something I'm not. Agathe will always be their true mother; all I can offer is friendship, support, and of course love."

"Maria, my love, that's what a mother is. Though I am sure they will all always have a place in their hearts for Agathe, by the time I returned from Vienna at the beginning of the summer, they loved you as any child loves a parent. You have shown them respect, compassion, dedication, joy, and love. You are already in every way their mother; this is simply a formality."

"Thank you, Georg."

Maria cuddled into Georg's arms, relishing his warmth in the cool morning air.

"May we tell them today? Together after breakfast?" she spoke quietly to not disturb the peacefulness that had settled in the morning air.

"Together" he repeated, kissing her gently on the lips.

* * *

Wrapped in each other's arms, stealing kisses as the sun rose above the mountaintops, the pair soon lost track of time. It was only when Maria's stomach rumbled that Georg glanced at his watch and realized it was half an hour past the time the children should have been woken up.

Hand-in-hand, with eyes only for each other, Maria and Georg walked through the doors back into the house…and right into seven bodies that were staring at them with open mouths and wide eyes.

Taking in the large panes of glass behind them that revealed where they had just spent the better part of an hour, the Captain groaned. "Apparently they are better planners and schemers than we" Georg sighed in a voice quiet enough that only Maria could hear him.

"It worked!" Kurt exclaimed, finally breaking the silence.

"It?" Maria asked, expertly raising a single eyebrow and trying not to smile.

"Our plan" Kurt continued matter-of-factly. "I can't believe Brigitta and Liesl were right! We'll never hear the end of this."

"Your plan?" the Captain asked, squeezing Maria's hand, and tried to follow her lead and suppress his laughter.

"We had a plan?" Marta asked, scrunching up her eyebrows in concentration, oblivious to the significance of having seen her father and governess embracing on the terrace.

"To make Father and fraulein Maria fall in love!" Kurt rolled his eyes at his younger sister, forgetting she and Gretl had not been involved in the scheming. "We've only been talking about it nonstop for weeks!"

The older girls and Friedrich were still speechless, their eyes traveling between the two entwined hands and the adults' amused and slightly guilty expressions.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Marta's eyes were filling with tears, the most sensitive of the seven.

"We can plan too," Gretl pouted with crossed arms, sensing her best friend's sadness and more upset about this than of being left out of her sibling's activities.

Maria and Georg exchanged a long look and, with a slight nod and smile, Maria bent down to eye level with the two youngest girls.

"How would you two like a very special job for me?" Maria asked as seriously as she could manage, barely containing her joy admixed with anxiety.

The two nodded vehemently.

Maria took a deep breath to gather her courage and was reassured when she felt Georg's hands on her shoulders.

"Would you two be my flower girls?" Maria asked in a voice loud enough for the other children to hear.

Her words were greeted by a moment of silence followed by a flurry of gasps and exclamations.

"But that means…"

"What?!"

"When?

"How?!"

As she stood Maria felt Georg's arm wrap around her waist and hold her close to him, and Gretl and Marta ran forward into her open arms, too young to ask questions. She freed one hand, undid the clasp around her neck and allowed the ring to slide off.

With a final look at Georg, she slipped it onto her fourth finger, where it would remain for decades to come.

"Is this for real?" Liesl asked, unable to move for fear waking up.

"Only if it is alright with all seven of you." Maria firmly replied, her grip tightening around the Captain's hand.

"Alright? I have been dreaming about this since your first night here." Liesl breathed, enveloping Maria in a hug.

"How is this possible?" Brigitta asked aloud, fixated on the shining diamonds.

"I was lost and was sent an angel, sweetheart, who won my heart with a love song" the Captain responded poetically, pulling all seven children into his arms, his eyes looking deep into those of his fiancé.

The Captain could not keep his eyes off of her. There truly is nothing more irresistible to a man than a woman who's in love with him.

And though this gaze, Maria was overwhelmed knowing he was as deeply in love with her.

**Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens."**

**- Maria von Trapp**


End file.
